Notes to self
Recommendations and insights based on research, books, films and more
A memory hack to help you face your fears
There’s a way to recall past encounters with your fears that could help you feel more confident facing them in future
by Christian Jarrett
Why ‘false authenticity’ is so unsettling
The Old Town of Würzburg seemed to offer a real connection to the past. But none of it was authentic
by Sam Dresser
Popular
Motivation is good, but discipline is better
The Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk’s recent claim that ‘discipline is better than motivation’ was psychologically astute
by Christian Jarrett
A brief escape from social media
After leaving my phone behind for a week and coming back to it, I saw my social media use in a stark new light
by Tamur Qutab
The words that make an apology convincing
Research on the psychology of apologising finds that certain word choices are more convincing because of their mental cost
by Alice Gregory
Where are you on the ‘happiness curve’?
When I came across the U-shaped happiness curve, I knew I had to act if I wanted to buck the midlife average
by Richard Fisher
Embrace the monotony
A museum guard’s tale of long, slow hours on the job changed how I think about seemingly empty stretches of time
by Hannah Seo
Why ‘false authenticity’ is so unsettling
The Old Town of Würzburg seemed to offer a real connection to the past. But none of it was authentic
by Sam Dresser
How scary is it really?
Research on frightening but fun experiences offers some encouragement for those of us who prefer to know what’s ahead
by Matt Huston
The dissonance of meeting what you eat
An uncomfortable reminder of the tension between your beliefs and behaviour might give you the push you need to change
by Matt Huston
Popular
View allMotivation is good, but discipline is better
The Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk’s recent claim that ‘discipline is better than motivation’ was psychologically astute
by Christian Jarrett
A brief escape from social media
After leaving my phone behind for a week and coming back to it, I saw my social media use in a stark new light
by Tamur Qutab
The words that make an apology convincing
Research on the psychology of apologising finds that certain word choices are more convincing because of their mental cost
by Alice Gregory
