Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life

This phrase is derived from a piece of advice Schwarzenegger received from his father, urging him to serve others. The author passes this advice on to the reader while acknowledging that everyone has a different idea of how to be useful. Likewise, Schwarzenegger and his father had different definitions of what this means. This phrase speaks to the ultimate takeaway of Schwarzenegger’s advice: Committing to Others and Giving Back. For him, self-improvement and cultivating a vision are not only about helping oneself but using one’s talents and abilities to help their community.

In positive psychology, a flow state is a mental state in which a person becomes completely immersed in an activity or task, often associated with focus, gratification, and a feeling of “losing track of time.” Schwarzenegger claims in Chapter 3 that the energized feeling of pursuing a worthy goal is an example of this sort of headspace. He uses this term when discussing his work ethic and that of other successful musicians, artists, and athletes.

Also known as the “negativity effect,” this is a cognitive bias that reflects people’s tendencies to respond more strongly to negative stimuli than to neutral or positive stimuli. It is believed to have served an evolutionary function; alertness to negative information or events would have helped early humans avoid threats in their environment and survive.