We all want to be happy. In fact, it’s our desire for happiness that drives most of our decisions, like our friendships, our activities, even our purchases. Yet, over time, we find that the things that made us so happy at the start – that new car or delicious meal – end up losing their…
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How did humans, a species of self-centered apes, come to care deeply about complete strangers? From an evolutionary standpoint, we shouldn’t be kind to strangers. Yet, history shows, time and again, we are. Scientists see it as a puzzle to solve. Michael McCullough, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego, believes it’s…
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What if our success was less about channeling willpower and more about building sustainable habits? Too often, when we think about goals we’ve failed to achieve, we blame it on a lack of willpower. Yet research has shown when we rely primarily on willpower, we’re bound to fail. Willpower takes energy, and it’s when our…
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How would our decision-making change if we shifted focus from the present to the future? Instant gratification comes easily to us. But when we delay tackling long-term problems associated with things like, health, climate, or society, we cheat our future selves. Bina Venkataraman, author of the book, The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless…
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What is the secret to changing our habits? Too often, we are led to believe that we need to study successful people and then use our willpower to act like they do. But UCLA Medical School Professor, Sean Young, reveals that this approach mainly leads to failure. Instead, Young and his colleagues point us to…
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