The psychology of happiness
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an elegant theort but it has been heavily contested. So what are some alternative theories of happiness that better capture the diversity and complexity of the human psyche?
life
From Default Definitions to Deliberate Questions
Since we are born, a set of defaults influences our goals, our relationships, our tastes. From fashion to friendship, many of the choices we make in life are imperceptibly constrained by default definitions. For example, the default definition of education is formal schooling. The default definition of love is monogamy. The default definition of success … Read More
Unlocking the power of optionality
The conventional path of accumulating optionality gives you reassuring but fragile options. In contrast, the best options — which involve lots of experimenting and tinkering — may feel riskier in the short term but will help you thrive through uncertainty.
Purpose Anxiety: The Fear of not Knowing your Purpose in Life
“What am I here for?” is one of the oldest questions humans have been grappling with. For millennia, religion has provided for many a source of meaning — the comforting idea that someone was in control and that, even if we didn’t have the ability to comprehend it all, the world ultimately made sense. With … Read More
The Introspection Trap
Introspection is considered an inherently human ability. While external observation allows us to understand the world around us, internal contemplation allows us to examine our own thoughts and feelings to foster self-reflection and self-discovery. The practice may be as old as humanity itself. Thousands of years ago, Plato asked: “Why should we not calmly and … Read More
Full-stack personal development
Unless you’re a developer, you might seldom consider the code that breathes life into your online experiences. In a nutshell, two main parts work together to shape what you see on your screen whenever you visit a website. One part is the front-end, which is everything you interact with directly, like the layout and the … Read More
The psychology of prestige: why we play the social status game
With social media at our fingertips, we are regularly alerted to the news of a friend’s new car, an ex-colleague being awarded yet another promotion, or the lavish holiday your neighbors have somehow managed to afford. It’s hard to not get swept up in the pursuit of social status. Far from being a modern phenomenon, … Read More
The default effect: why we renounce our ability to choose
Why is it that we like having choices, but we don’t like choosing? Being able to decide between several options makes us feel in control. Yet, we tend to exhibit a preference for the default option when presented with a selection of choices. This is called the default effect, and it rules many aspects of … Read More
How to turn problems into a curiosity engine
The human mind is extremely averse to ambiguity and uncertainty. We are hardwired to seek answers — even if they’re incomplete or wrong — and most societies consider having answers as more valuable than having questions. Look around you: the overt objective of many jobs is to provide answers. After going through an interview process … Read More
Zemblanity: the inexorability of unfortunate discoveries
We have all experienced serendipitous moments in life, the unexpected discoveries or fortunate occurrences that happen by chance. Serendipity occurs when you stumble upon a first edition novel by your favorite author at a car boot sale, or bump into an old friend who you then realize could become the fantastic business partner you’ve been … Read More