Research
The Courage it Takes to Be Happy
Lately, I’ve been mulling over the courage it takes to be happy. Not the Instagram performance “happy.” Truly, sincerely, happy. There is significant research on happiness (Dr. Santo’s lab, The Happiness Research Institute, Dr. Ed’s Stuff, Shawn Anchor who is meh, Google Scholar pieces here, it’s ENDLESS). We know empirically that joy > happiness (one (…)
The Physics of Psychology
Today, we know that using a seatbelt prevents death, washing your hands prevents spreading disease and infection, and wearing a helmet prevents concussions. If someone you know bragged about never washing their hands, you would look at them with concern. And, yet, this is precisely what we do with psychology. We boast about never needing (…)
What Will You Do With That?
The way we speak to people brave enough to endure bankruptcy for the pursuit of knowledge is unkind: “That’s impractical.” “How much will you be able to earn?” “Who cares about that though?” “What kind of jobs can you get with that degree?” “Who will hire you?” “But what will you do with that?” To (…)
It’s ok not to know something
Trust in institutions is at an all-time low, with, I think, good reason. However, it appears we’ve overcorrected because now we claim to, “do our own research,” and cite, “this person I follow on TikTok,” Reddit threads, and Instagram memes. Listen. I love the democratization of information, but our absolute trust in non-peer-reviewed assertions that (…)
Brace For Impact
I’m fighting every bone in my body that wants to win the Performance Activism Anti-Racist Olympics right now. Drive-by activism is appealing. I get to post and share and it doesn’t actually cost me anything. Listen, I am nowhere near qualified to address what’s happening right now and am in the midst of confronting my own (…)
Let’s Stop Hating on Experts, Shall We?
One of my favorite moments of all time was at a roundtable with Esther Perel. There were 10 of us and this guy raises his hand and asks how he can be a better husband to his wife who’s pregnant because he knows that when you’re pregnant your brain changes and he’d like to support her. (…)
How to Write a Good Customer Survey
“Are you afraid of the impending robot revolution or do you feel completely safe and not at all worried about A.I. technology?” That wasn’t a joke. A real surveyor for a real (and prestigious!) institution asked me this. A pollster called my landline and I agreed to “answer a few brief questions on the economy.” (…)