What does it mean to be stoic? Many of us assume it means you have a stiff upper lip, or that you suppress your emotions. That’s what Massimo Pigliucci thought — until he started to peruse a book called Meditations. It was written nearly two thousand years ago by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But Massimo, now a […]
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This week, we revisit a conversation with psychologist Iris Mauss, who explains why happiness can seem more elusive the harder we chase it. Then, we bring you the latest edition of our segment “Your Questions Answered.” Behavioral scientist Alison Wood Brooks answers listener questions on how to be a better conversationalist.
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A favorite from 2022: After a mortifying fall in physics class, Julie remembers the unexpected gift she received from a fellow student.
Behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz looks at how to keep our passions alive, and how to channel old passions into new pursuits.
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A few days after her sister passed away, a stranger on the subway asked Maureen how she was doing. The conversation that followed is one that she will forever cherish.
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What should you do with your life? This week, researcher Victor Strecher explores the science of creating a life full of meaning.
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As a college freshman, Karen was sometimes inconsiderate to her hallmate, Pam. So when Karen missed the bus to her choir performance, an hour away, she was surprised — and moved — when Pam came to her rescue.
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Eric and his husband, Dennis Hopkins, lived a life full of music, gardening, and dance. But in 2022, Dennis was diagnosed with lung cancer. A few days before he died, they met a nurse named Sherry, who offered a compassionate roadmap of what was to come.
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Learning to play a musical instrument is hard. So is trying to run a marathon, writing a term paper, and caring for a sick child. These things involve frustration, pain, and disappointment — yet we do them anyway. This week, in part two of our look at the allure of suffering, psychologist Michael Inzlicht explains what we
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The last place Brad saw his mom before she died was at a diner in New York. A few years later, when he went back to that diner, the bartender asked if he remembered their table, and invited him to go sit there.
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