For extreme “maximizers” like myself – as psychologists refer to those who strive to maximize the return on every choice they make – life isn’t so much a series of choices as it is a string of never-ending rejections. What decisions come do so grudgingly. And they tend to be backloaded with regrets and second-guesses. It can be challenging to…
The research behind our favorite on-screen smooches (plus a few other surprising facts about locking lips)
A new study suggests hugs, as a stress reliever, can help protect people from getting sick
Every moviegoer knows that Darth Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force. Tapping its volcanic energies of anger, hatred, and fear, he gained awesome powers, but at the cost of his humanity. And then, of course, there’s the story of Faust, who sold his immortal soul to the Devil so he could gain the world. Beware of…
I’ve read a slew of books about success and studied all the old-time gurus, from Charles Haanel and Napoleon Hill to today’s leaders, such as Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, and Wayne Dyer. They all talk about things like presence, decision making, performance strategies, action taking, intention, motivation, and belief systems. None devote time specifically to conscientiousness. Yet research indicates that,…
Must all learning be difficult, a series of miserably rote chores performed by schoolchildren trapped at their desks? Or can mastering multiplication, reading, science, and writing be a romp through the playgrounds of the mind? While most students would prefer that school be as easy as possible, the truth is that the deepest human understanding—the stuff that sticks with us…
A study in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that we’re much happier when there’s a lot going on in our life. If keeping active and busy is positive for our health, why do we often feel overwhelmed or exhausted by our list of responsibilities? It may not be our to-do list that is the source of our unhappiness. Instead,…
In The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., asserts that the subconscious mind can process approximately 20 million bits of information per second, while the conscious mind processes only about 40,000 bits in the same time frame. With so much input vying for your attention, how does your brain choose where to place your awareness? Researchers in the psychology department…
