How Barzun Predicted Brexit
Any time something huge happens in the world such as the recent Brexit referendum, with all the happy and unhappy voters, and the shocked onlookers
Category: Psychology
The Death of Dissent
In the aftermath of the horrific attack in Orlando, we have witnessed a death that is equally troubling if only because of its scope and
The Moral Obligation to Be Beautiful
Recently, the folks at Boundless posted a provocative article titled ‘Where Have All the Beautiful Women Gone?’ The idea? That our culture, with its Photoshopped
The Superhero Heresy
March 5, 2016 With several blockbuster superhero films out every year, there can be little doubt that supers are hotter than ever. Batman, Iron Man,
Why Anti-Trumpers Might Be the Bigger Problem
As 2016 Super Tuesday results filed in, a sinking feeling could be felt across the country. Political pundits and lay voters alike realized that Donald
No, We Don’t Need More Women in the Tech Industry
If there’s one thing that all leaders and pundits in the tech industry can agree on, it is that there aren’t enough women in the
Dr. Selflove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Myers-Briggs
I was at college the first time I had heard about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. So, naturally, I was a skeptic. It was
How We Got Rights So Wrong
May 16, 2015 If the recent debate over RFRA laws and same-sex marriage teaches us anything, it is not that there are a bunch of
Romancing the Subconscious
A chapter from the 2014 release, Psychonomics: How Modern Science Aims to Conquer the Mind and How the Mind Prevails. On a cool summer evening
Five Reasons to Embrace Your Inner Perfectionist
Recently, the people at Emotional Intelligence 2.0 posted about the 9 Things Successful People Won’t Do. As could be expected, one of the items was
In Defense of Photoshopping
August 2, 2014 Photoshop is killing our self-esteem. At least, that is the consensus on a growing trend throughout our media and culture: Advertising and
Psychonomics
We are in the midst of a brain science revolution. Highly sophisticated neuroimaging technology and cunning psychological experiments have helped researchers delve into the darkest
The 90-Minute Effect
From Bogart and Bacall to ‘Batman Begins,’ from ‘Pride and Prejudice’ to ‘The Princess Bride,’ and from ‘Ben-Hur’ to Ben Kenobi, our lives are filled
This Book is 11,856 Pages Long
August 2008 After having read Jacques Barzun’s summa thirteen times, I have concluded that this book is not really 912 pages long as it appears
Compromise Compromises
August 2006 One need not look far for evidence that these are divisive times. Charismatic talking heads battle on television, the radio, and the Internet