Tactical Notebook Index

Notebook & Site Glossary:

A B C D E F G H I L N O P R S T U

Economics

Economics is the study of how people, businesses, governments, and societies make choices about allocating resources, including money, time, labor, and raw materials. It focuses on understanding and analyzing the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics helps us understand how these resources can be used efficiently to satisfy needs and desires, considering the constraints of scarcity (the idea that resources are limited).

Emotional Distraction

A state in which an individual’s attention is diverted from a task or goal due to the intrusion of emotionally charged thoughts, feelings, or stimuli. This can occur when emotions such as anxiety, sadness, anger, or excitement become so overwhelming or salient that they interfere with the ability to focus, think clearly, or perform effectively. Emotional distraction is a common experience and can impact various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and decision-making.

Emotional Regulation

The processes by which individuals influence, manage, and respond to their emotional experiences and expressions. It involves the ability to recognize, understand, and modulate emotions in ways that are socially acceptable and personally beneficial. Effective emotional regulation helps individuals maintain emotional balance, cope with stress, and navigate social interactions, while poor emotional regulation can lead to emotional distress, impulsive behavior, and interpersonal difficulties.

Entropy

Entropy is a measure of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty in a system. It quantifies how energy disperses and how many possible ways a system can be arranged.

Key Applications:

Thermodynamics – Predicts heat flow, engine efficiency, and why perpetual motion is impossible.

Chemistry – Determines reaction spontaneity (e.g., why some reactions happen on their own).

Information Theory – Measures data uncertainty (used in cryptography, AI, and data compression).

Statistical Mechanics – Explains how molecules distribute (e.g., gas expansion, phase changes).

Cosmology – Describes the universe’s tendency toward maximum disorder (heat death hypothesis).

In short: Entropy explains why things break down, energy gets wasted, and randomness grows—unless we actively work against it.

Eustress

The positive form of stress that helps us stay motivated, focused, and engaged in activities. It enhances performance, growth, and resilience.

Extrinsic Reward

Extrinsic rewards are external incentives provided by an outside source, such as money, trophies, grades, or praise. They are tangible or visible rewards given for completing a task or achieving a goal.

Index Of Tactical Notebook Articles In Order Of Suggested Reading:

This index is a revision of our now removed Legacy Member Handbook series. New articles are added over time and the index adjusted accordingly. Visist the “Updates” environment (linked in the main navigation menu) to get up to speed or see when new content is added or changes have been made to existing articles.