After a drastic drop in March and April, consumer confidence has been shaky around the globe—slightly up in the US, and down in China. Amidst so much upheaval, it’s reassuring to know that some things haven’t changed, including the principles that govern consumers’ choices. In Dollars and Sense, behavioral economist Dan Ariely explores how consumers calculate the value […]
Love Takes Practice
Falling in love is easy. But loving someone for a lifetime—well, that’s an art. In the 1950s, psychoanalyst Erich Fromm shook up the fields of psychology and philosophy with the simple (but revolutionary) idea that loving is a skill, not a state of mind. Before Fromm, people had always thought of love as a phenomenon […]
Let a Stranger Fix Your Life
Professional networking norms have been different in 2020. (Obviously!) Around the world, in-person conferences have been cancelled or postponed, which has eliminated many of the pathways by which people find the mentors who guide them to the next phase in their personal and career development. Fortunately, you don’t have to be well-connected to find a first-class mentor. Self-help guru […]
These 7 Habits for Success Start Early
Good habits start early. But teens have a lot going on in their lives—and that’s not even counting the new challenges we all face in the era of COVID-19. Between trying to please their parents, fitting in with friends, and struggling to succeed in school, it’s all too easy for teens to feel overwhelmed. Wouldn’t it […]
Style Your Business Like a Startup
These days, everyone’s an entrepreneur. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, startups were still all the rage: eye-popping IPOs drew attention to the ways that startups used dense talent pools and perk-laden headquarters to attract top talent and generate big wins for venture capitalists and early employees. But now that the economic outlook has soured, VC […]
The Roots of Unrest
Over the last few weeks, concern regarding inequities in the US criminal justice system have come to a head in protests against police brutality across the country. While civil unrest has spread rapidly, the underlying issues represent a chronic problem of which many people were blissfully unaware: Racism is a longstanding problem in the US […]
3 Tips for Weathering a Downturn
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. According to the World Bank, the global pandemic has triggered a recession that will be the deepest one the world has seen in decades. Many people, particularly those who have lost their jobs or fear they soon will, feel […]
Break Your Smartphone Addiction
Is your smartphone draining your time? Let’s be real: app developers and social media experience designers have already admitted they design their products to be addictive. If you’re feeling strapped for time and emotionally drained by the technology, yet reach for your phone whenever you need a distraction—well, you’re not alone. Millions of people have […]
Even Enlightened People Do the Dishes
In Autobiography of a Yogi, Indian monk and guru Paramahansa Yogananda describes the spiritual path that led him to leave India for the United States. As a young teenager, Yogananda sometimes dreamed of wrestling tigers and performing other marvelous feats he had heard about other gurus performing. However, once he started training to become a monk, […]
Be a Better Control Freak
Research shows that feeling in control—not necessarily being in control—helps determine how happy and successful you are. People who have a sense that their actions shape their fate are less stressed, in life and at work. Feeling in control will help you communicate better, solve problems faster, and feel more motivated. It might even improve your health. […]
