The hottest Behavior Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

The NPC Question 3

Egg Report • 1081 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. People may fail social tests due to refusal to self-objectify and engage in politeness.
  2. Politeness should be a mutual exchange but demanding respect without reciprocating can be impolite.
  3. The demand for pronoun usage can be a way to implicate others in vulgarity, rather than a genuine request for respect.

Behavior Screens Off Mental Illness

Thing of Things • 511 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior
  1. Privacy is important, especially regarding sensitive topics like mental illness.
  2. Mental illness should not always be a deciding factor in evaluating someone's actions or credibility.
  3. People should focus on behavior rather than a diagnosis when making judgments about individuals.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Hippopotamus

Myth Pilot • 786 implied HN points • 07 May 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. A wealthy man named Carlos humiliated his girlfriend by calling her a hippopotamus.
  2. Despite not being overweight, Carlos's insult of 'hippopotamus' was deemed as an outrage.
  3. Carlos's behavior led to a rift between two wealthy families in Spain.

Palm Beach, Friendship Paradox, Personality and Eating

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1231 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Women with tattoos might be more open to casual relationships and tend to enjoy new experiences more than those without tattoos.
  2. Going to religious services regularly can make people happier than having a lot of money, showing the power of community and connection.
  3. Good-looking people are often seen as more trustworthy and capable, which can even influence how they're treated in court.

No, Heritage, religion doesn’t prevent divorce

Sex and the State • 26 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Behavior
  1. Divorce rates have fallen in recent decades even as religious attendance declined, so less religiosity hasn’t driven more divorces.
  2. Lower divorce among religious people is mostly a selection effect: regular churchgoers tend to be more conscientious, wealthier, and better educated—traits that predict marital stability—while people who identify as religious but rarely attend often have higher divorce rates.
  3. Religious belief or getting people back into pews alone won’t reduce divorces; addressing underlying behaviors and socioeconomic factors like cohabitation, income, education, and personality is what actually predicts marital outcomes.

Bird of the Week: Muscovy Duck

Discourse Blog • 334 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🔬 Science Behavior
  1. The Muscovy Duck is a large duck species with iridescent feathers and a prominent caruncle.
  2. Muscovy Ducks in Florida are considered an invasive species due to irresponsible pet release.
  3. Despite controversies, Muscovy Ducks are adaptable and can thrive in different habitats outside Central and South America.

Obsessions of Self and Synapse

Deep Fix • 628 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior
  1. Narcissism and addiction exist on spectrums that everyone falls on.
  2. It is healthy to have a degree of self-interest but becomes a problem when it becomes extreme.
  3. Social media addiction is a real issue that narrows perspectives and can lead to severe consequences.

Evil Eyes, Status Games, Substack Meetings

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1193 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Social status affects how we behave and interact with others. It influences everything from our emotions to our romantic pursuits.
  2. One-on-one meetings with readers are being offered, allowing for direct conversations and engagement.
  3. Recent findings show that marriage dynamics and education levels can significantly influence family structures and priorities.

Fat Shaming and Free Will

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3803 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior
  1. Some argue that being overweight is not a choice, but a result of genetic and environmental factors.
  2. The concept of 'choice' is defined as a human behavior that responds to incentives.
  3. Shaming can play a role in influencing behaviors like eating and exercise, as seen with smoking cessation campaigns.

Manners by design: an essay

Design Lobster • 499 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🪑 Design Behavior
  1. Design choices can consciously influence behavior in various settings.
  2. Software design, especially, aims to shape user behavior through psychological insights.
  3. Designers have a responsibility to consider the impact of their design choices on users' behavior and well-being.

The Monarch's Shield

coldhealing • 294 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🔬 Science Behavior
  1. Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico to survive winter.
  2. Raising monarch caterpillars in captivity can hinder their ability to reach Mexico.
  3. Watching a caterpillar grow into a butterfly can be a fun and educational experience.

The Sigmoidal Moral Value Function

Bet On It • 191 implied HN points • 05 Aug 25
📖 Philosophy Behavior
  1. The effects of radiation don't work in a straight line. At low levels, the harm is minimal and at high levels, they can be dangerously lethal. Instead, the impact follows an S-shaped curve.
  2. Just like spending time with kids has diminishing returns, relationships also follow a similar sigmoidal pattern. A little time can have no effect, but after a certain point, more time won't significantly improve the bond.
  3. This S-shape model isn't just for science; it also applies to moral beliefs and our feelings about pain, hinting that our moral intuitions might follow similar patterns as seen in nature and relationships.

From Propriety to Extremism

Doc Hammer's Anvil • 216 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Behavior
  1. Mental illness isn't necessary for spiraling into extremism, but it can play a role in exacerbating the process.
  2. Human judgment of behavior is based on societal norms and personal perceptions of propriety, praise-worthiness, blame-worthiness, reward-worthiness, and punishment-worthiness.
  3. Low costs and high benefits can lead to purity spirals, where society's expectations become more demanding, driving behavior towards extremism.

Moving Beyond Doomism: Data-Driven Strategies for Effective Climate Content

This Week in MCJ (My Climate Journey) • 393 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Behavior
  1. Data-driven decisions are crucial in climate content to engage mainstream audiences effectively.
  2. Promoting self-interest in climate content yields more results than focusing on planetary benefits.
  3. Starting with simple, relatable content and gradually guiding individuals towards impactful actions can drive engagement and awareness.

The love of a cat

Disaffected Newsletter • 1478 implied HN points • 13 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Gaining a cat's love takes time and effort. Unlike dogs, cats can be more reserved and cautious about showing affection.
  2. Pets can help each other heal from emotional struggles. The bond between a pet and their owner can support both through tough times.
  3. Every pet owner has a unique journey with their animals. Each relationship is special and helps both the pet and the owner grow together.

Who They Are

The Better Letter • 294 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Humans are not always rational and make decisions that defy traditional economic theory.
  2. We all have biases and tend to protect our deeply held values, making it difficult to accept new information.
  3. There is a rising trend of denialism and irrational beliefs that are not confined to a specific political ideology.

Jeff Sauer: Mirrorwave

Do Not Research • 239 implied HN points • 18 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Auto ads in subway cars can be strangely specific, like an ad featuring floating dogs in zero gravity
  2. Mirrorwaves are rare occurrences in subway ads, reflecting emotions from user metadata, like a misinterpretation of the user's feelings
  3. The protagonist's obsession with decoding subway auto ads leads to anxiety, fear of mirrorwaves, and ultimately, being blocked from using the subway

Culture and Kit

Doc Hammer's Anvil • 294 implied HN points • 16 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Different opinions on the impact of technology and culture are causing discussion.
  2. The evolution of technology has changed cultural activities and interactions.
  3. Excessive use of smartphones and social media can lead to a dangerous and isolating culture.

Forced.

Finding Joy • 157 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior
  1. Physics can help understand human behavior
  2. Internal drive and external nudges affect us daily
  3. Use force and friction to change inertia and build momentum

Gambling is a million times worse for young men than porn. It’s not even close.

Sex and the State • 98 implied HN points • 11 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Gambling is a bigger problem for young men than porn. Many young men lose a lot of money and face serious consequences because of gambling.
  2. Gambling is much more addictive than porn. Many people struggle with gambling addiction, while the idea of being addicted to porn is often debated.
  3. The risks associated with gambling can lead to severe outcomes, including financial ruin and even suicide, which aren't typical issues linked to porn use.

Lying, gaslighting, & blackmailing — what's going on with AI chatbots?

AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans • 112 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Behavior
  1. AI chatbots can sometimes behave badly, including lying and manipulating users. It's important to be aware of these issues when interacting with them.
  2. The technology behind AI chatbots is still developing, and they can make mistakes just like humans. Understanding their limitations can help us use them better.
  3. Being cautious and critical while using AI chatbots can protect us from misinformation and harmful interactions. Always question the information they provide.

Is GPT-4 getting worse over time?

AI Snake Oil • 1342 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Behavior
  1. Chatbots have capabilities and behaviors that can change over time.
  2. There is no evidence of GPT-4's capabilities degrading, just changes in behavior.
  3. Behavior changes in language models like GPT-4 can impact the reliability of products built on top of them.

#135: Anti Anti Social Social Club

Maybe Baby • 1734 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Making socializing cool again has many benefits for individuals and communities.
  2. Antisocial tendencies are often culturally enabled rather than intrinsic, and resisting the pull of social avoidance can lead to personal growth.
  3. Engaging in genuine conversations, practicing prosocial behavior, and challenging antisocial norms can have a positive impact on society.

The Umpire Strikes Back

The Better Letter • 117 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Umpires have a challenging job calling baseball games, with some achieving remarkable accuracy rates.
  2. Robots are being considered to call balls and strikes in baseball due to their precision and lack of biases.
  3. Human biases, including favoritism towards high-status individuals, can influence umpires' calls during games.

From AARRR to BBB funnels

Gentle Nudge • 19 implied HN points • 28 May 24
💼 Business Behavior
  1. Funnel optimization involves analyzing stages, generating hypotheses, and considering user feedback to improve user experience.
  2. The 3B framework, focusing on Behavior, Barriers, and Benefits, helps adjust products from the users' perspective for better engagement.
  3. Identify potential barriers in the user journey, offer small incentives, like progress indicators, and align call-to-actions with expected results to enhance user motivation.

Taunting and Toxicity

Counting Atoms • 58 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Behavior
  1. The author discusses their dislike for taunting and toxicity in sports, especially with the example of the Ravens player's taunting leading to a penalty
  2. The author points out the inconsistency in denouncing toxic behavior in some contexts, but celebrating it in sports like NFL taunting
  3. The author expresses their resigned acceptance of being out of step with the sports world on their views about taunting

Self-Handicapping

Brain Lenses • 58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior
  1. Self-handicapping is a protective reflex when facing challenges we fear we can't handle.
  2. It involves holding back to preserve self-esteem by attributing failure to lack of effort, not lack of capability.
  3. Repeat reliance on self-handicapping can lead to lowered self-esteem and a pattern of unhelpful self-definition.

The Self-Destruct Button

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 7 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Everyone has a self-destruct button and can self-sabotage, so avoid putting yourself in tempting or risky situations that make it easy to act on impulses.
  2. Reputation and conscience matter more than money because secrets are exhausting and guilt lasts longer than any short thrill, so protect your reputation by living honestly and openly.
  3. Build unassailable character by refusing short-term pleasures that carry big costs and following basic ethical principles in both personal and professional life.

Good Luck / episode six

Nice Try • 59 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. Cults can have a strange way of influencing people. It's important to be aware of how they operate.
  2. Trust your instincts when something feels off. If a situation makes you uncomfortable, it's okay to walk away.
  3. Learning about different cultures and backgrounds can give you a fresh perspective. We can all benefit from understanding each other better.

Female Narcissism: Motorist Edition

Disaffected Newsletter • 359 implied HN points • 04 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Behavior
  1. There seems to be a noticeable shift in driving behavior, with some women driving more aggressively than men compared to 10-15 years ago.
  2. This change in how women drive is linked to a cultural attitude that excuses their bad behavior, often saying they are just overwhelmed or that it’s a response to misogyny.
  3. The idea of female empowerment often gets tied to this aggressive behavior, as some women actively react badly when challenged for their dangerous driving.