Are We Surprised That Gaslighting Is the Word of the Year?

It’s happening again. You’re in a conversation and another person inserts a condescending comment. Or you are invited to share your contextual opinion, and another person follows with a dismissive comment. Take one guess on the origins of these comments?. Competitive statements such as, “we’re the best,” “we’re...

Casteism in America has been named and studied by sociologists for most of the last 100 years. In her book, "Caste," Isabel Wilkerson examines the ways culture creates a false sense of superiority in those privileged to be deemed dominant. The book inculcates deep bias with tragic sequelae for those...

When people grow up with the same friends and families that are intertwined, they leave traceable footprints of where they’ve been, who they’ve been with, and what is important to look to in the future. They form a community of people who matter to each other. When they...

Many people downplay emotionality as weak and dramatic. Fearing emotion leads to overthinking and anxiety. Regularly avoiding emotions can leave a lot of unprocessed baggage that can feel overwhelming when confronted, but no emotion lasts forever. It’s common to hear well-meaning helpers telling you to “trust your feelings,” or “go...

How changes over time in two types of narcissistic traits are related to changes in relationship satisfaction. Increases in narcissistic rivalry, a defensive and antagonistic trait, were related to declines in relationship satisfaction. Here are several ways to interpret these research findings. It is well-documented that narcissists don't make good...

There’s no timeline for grieving. Losing someone you care about changes a person fundamentally. It's OK to "oscillate" between facing grief head-on and taking a break at times. People often ask me, "Will my grief ever end?" The answer is yes, but it will most likely change you forever,...

Attention-seeking may seem like a uniquely modern preoccupation, but it derives from an ancient impulse: survival. Attention-seeking is often the attempt to make up for attention we were denied in childhood. The less we got, the keener the deficit. The downside of attention-seeking is defining approval as something external to...

The stories people tell themselves about the murder of Tyre Nichols is a window into the psyche of a nation. We are all witnesses to social injustice with the power to heal and bring about change or gaslight and deny the violence. Many people don't understand that the murder of...

We construct a mental self-image on the basis of how other people treat us and how we differ from other people. Feelings of self-esteem are based on the value of one’s personal identity plus the combined value of one’s many social identities. This post is Part 1 of...

The way we perceive gender has evolved since the Middle Ages and varies across societies. Part of greater equality for women can be explained by changes in norms around marriage. Research suggests that plough usage in agricultural societies is linked with men-as-breadwinners gender stereotypes. This post was written by Anirudh...

Romanticized success can drive unhealthy behaviors that contribute to burnout. Science shows we can shift behavior to protect our well-being through practices such as mindfulness and intermittent technology fasts. Hustle and grind culture is the new religion. Bursting at the seams, to-do lists and schedules are normalized. Messages flood our...

When one chooses the path of meditation to heal psychologically and spiritually, one forgets at times about feelings like compassion and forgiveness. One might even forget about the attitudes of kindness, generosity, and gratitude. When people meditate, they might experience feelings of ease, well-being, and lucidity. I have experienced these meditative states as beautiful and comforting. However, even though the practice of meditation allows a person to experience positive states, they need to support human, everyday living, rather than encourage escaping from what is difficult to face.

Scientists are on their way to developing the capacity to create “designer babies." The ethics of “special ordering” children have yet to be addressed. Parenting will take on new complexities should we become able to dictate children’s attributes and skill sets. Genetically modified children may experience...

Semantic memories constitute what we learn and know, while episodic memories reflect our personal experiences. Episodic memories are not stored in a fixed form, so they are subject to change over time. We all misremember things, but deliberately misrepresenting the past for personal gain is a choice, not an error.

Sometimes, people don't want help, but their families do. Family members can learn skills to communicate more effectively with adolescents about issues from suicidal thinking to college applications. We can't control other people's behavior, but we can help them make good decisions by showing curiosity and respect. In my final...