We can presume cultural and social narratives such as individualism and neoliberalism are the source of so-called narcissism — an…
Emotional Acceptance: Why Feeling Bad is Good
Avoiding negative emotions seems like a good idea. It isn’t. According to recent psychological research (by David Barlow, Steven Hayes…
Embracing Isolation and Change amidst Uncertainty
Just weeks ago, many of us were living and working in a fast-paced world characterised by endless opportunities for consuming,…
The Difference Between Worry, Stress and Anxiety
You probably experience worry, stress or anxiety at least once on any given day. But in one of these moments,…
How Cognitive Biases Influence How You Think and Act
A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgments that people make. Some of…
Why You Might Feel Empty After Reaching a Huge Goal
Psychologically speaking, a goal can give us a powerful sense of direction and order. It satisfies the natural desire for…
Stoic Principles Every Creative Needs To Thrive
Ancient philosophy and creative work are rarely thought analogous. Maybe they should. Creative work of any kind—a book, a screenplay,…
True freedom is a luxury of the mind
In his influential paper of 1943, A Theory of Human Motivation, the American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that healthy human…
Brené Brown on the power of vulnerability
Brené Brown is a shame-and-vulnerability expert. I know: that was my reaction, too. I’m really not wired for this…
The hero`s journey as a personal narrative
Most likely you have heard of the work of Joseph Campbell, the American writer and teacher who made his mark…
Laziness Does Not Exist. But unseen barriers do.
People love to blame procrastinators for their behavior. Putting off work sure looks lazy, to an untrained eye. Even the…
Anxious People Focus on Negative Cues That Others Don’t
Let’s pretend for a moment you’re giving a presentation in a room full of very important people. You want their…
Capitalism captures the mindfulness industry
By negating and downplaying actual social and political contexts and focusing on the individual, or more so, the individual’s brain,…
How we think affects everything from our ability to solve problems to how we understand meaning, value, and purpose
Late historians Will and Ariel Durant spent four decades of their lives studying, compiling, and writing the history of Western…
Loneliness is silent, invisible and as deadly as a smoking habit.
We prize space, privacy and independence, and the richer we get the more of these we can afford, yet their…
