Why Being Laid Off Can Hurt So Much
If an occupation becomes part of your identity, losing work can feel like a personal failing, even if it's clearly not your fault.
Your Brain Evolved to Hoard Supplies and Shame Others for Doing the Same
Have people gone mad? How can one individual be overfilling their own cart, while shaming others who are doing the same?
Ancient Monks Got That Quarantine Feeling, Too
Listlessness, boredom, torpor, that "noonday demon" that tempts you away from spiritual connections—that's what was called acedia.
Selling Hedonism in Postwar America
The hedonism of American consumer culture is the result of deliberate efforts by mid-twentieth century marketing experts.
There’s No Template for Emotional Intelligence
A templated response to any situation is the antithesis of an emotionally in-tune reaction.
The Man Whose Face Got Stuck Like That
No one could have predicted Franz Xaver Messerschmidt’s turn to the bizarre.
Nobody Really Knows Why We Dream
An extensive literature review reveals a startling lack of consensus around why we dream, though neurologists have made important discoveries.
Sigmund Freud’s The Ego and the Id
Freud died 80 years ago this week. In this "Virtual Roundtable," three scholars debate the legacy of his 1923 text.
There Will Always Be a Market for Snake Oil
Even when we suspect the underlying root of an issue is complex, we tend to look for a quick fix.
How to Cure Groupthink
"Groupthink" describes the systematic errors groups can make when facing important collective decisions. How can it be avoided?