The Empathy Gym
Psychologist Jamil Zaki argues that empathy isn’t a fixed trait. This week: how to exercise our empathy muscles.
psychology
Radical Acceptance
Last week, we looked at the hidden beliefs that can leave us feeling stuck in life. This week, in the second part of our conversation with behavioral scientist Dave Evans, we talk about radical acceptance. Dave shares why accepting reality as it is can be so difficult — and why it’s an essential first step in
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Designing a Life that Matters
We tell ourselves that meaning comes from impact, passion, or finding the “one right path.” But these beliefs can leave us feeling stuck — even when our lives look perfectly fine on paper. Behavioral scientist Dave Evans describes a new approach, borrowed from design thinking, to help us build lives that feel more alive, flexible, and real.
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Do You Feel Loved?
What’s the difference between being loved and feeling loved?
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The Debt Trap
We like to think that good financial decisions come down to discipline and basic math. But the psychology of money turns out to be deeply complicated.
When It’s Okay to Lie
Should you tell a harsh truth if it will only cause pain? Or is it sometimes kinder to keep someone in the dark?
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Yuck! The Science of Disgust
What’s the point of disgust? We talk with psychologist David Pizarro about the evolutionary role of this emotion, and how it’s used to persuade and divide us.
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The Secret of Charisma
Charismatic leaders can inspire devotion and give people a powerful sense of meaning. They can also make us vulnerable.
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Do You Feel Invisible?
What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a sense of meaning in ourselves and others. Then, in the second half
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Why You’re Smarter Than You Think
From the time we’re schoolchildren, we’re ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our potential? This week, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman proposes a more expansive notion of what it means to be “smart.”
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