The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

You can't be too happy, literally

Experimental History • 21278 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Emotions Well-being Psychology Self-care
  1. People tend to stay at the same level of happiness over time, despite major events happening around them.
  2. Research shows that individuals adjust to both good and bad situations, aiming to maintain a balance in their emotions like a thermostat.
  3. The mind has control systems like a furnace and an air conditioner that help modulate mood levels to prevent extreme states of sadness or euphoria.

The Rise of Western Individualism

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4431 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology History Society Religion Economics
  1. Western individualism stems from historical factors like the power of the Western Church and its unique taboos on family structures.
  2. WEIRD societies have distinct characteristics: hyper-individualism, focus on intentions, patience for delayed gratification, and a willingness to adhere to rules even without enforcement.
  3. The rise of Western individualism influenced laws, innovation, and economic prosperity, with key factors like belief in moralizing gods, influence of formal institutions, and the impact of impersonal markets.

Links For February 2024

Astral Codex Ten • 7433 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🔬 Science Psychology Medicine Technology History Biology
  1. Blind mathematicians often work in geometry and topology, suggesting unique perceptions.
  2. The Basilica of the Holy House in Italy intriguingly ties angelic folklore with historical architecture.
  3. Starting a journey from Seattle and heading east ends in Russia, the first country reached while traversing the Atlantic Ocean.

The Slop School of Internet Success and other lies about cyberspace

Experimental History • 19425 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Internet Writing Science Art Psychology
  1. Making a living on the internet doesn't have to involve creating 'slop' content like clickbait or scams.
  2. Success online can come from creating honest, original, and interesting content that people genuinely enjoy and share.
  3. Supporting creators financially for content you enjoy can help create a better internet ecosystem and encourage more quality content.
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A slightly tipsy investigation into my wife's superpower

Experimental History • 7657 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research Psychology Education Culture Health
  1. Some people have unique sensory abilities that others may not understand or share, like detecting the lingering smell of eggs on plates even after washing.
  2. Being open-minded and receptive to new ideas is important to avoid rigidity in thinking and to continuously learn and grow.
  3. Academic professions, like journal publishing and university rankings, can sometimes involve questionable practices that prioritize profit over knowledge or ethics.

Enchantment is resistance

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 4792 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Feminism Nature Events Psychology
  1. Enchantment can be a form of resistance, challenging the myths that contribute to ongoing issues and inspiring new ways of being.
  2. Writers and storytellers play a crucial role in resistance by offering stories that help people imagine and desire a better world.
  3. Resistance to everyday evils can involve living differently day by day, making small changes that collectively create a positive impact.

Interesting reads, March 2024 edition

Brain Pizza • 794 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Essays Fiction Fantasy Psychology Book Reviews
  1. Maximising happiness is not the only goal in life, different societies value different aspects of well-being.
  2. Current thinking on happiness is evolving to include the concept of psychological richness as a facet of a fulfilling life.
  3. Exploring the idea of benign masochism reveals that some activities initially seen as unpleasant can bring joy and pleasure.

America’s Families Are Not Okay

Persuasion • 2692 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Relationships Family Psychology Therapy Mental health
  1. Family estrangement is becoming more common in the United States, with societal shifts and individual empowerment contributing to the trend.
  2. The impact of estrangement on both parents and adult children can lead to deep sadness, embarrassment, and longing for familial connection.
  3. While family estrangement may seem like a socially endorsed choice, it carries a heavy emotional toll, spreading through generations and leaving individuals feeling lonely and anchorless.

Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales: a new online program at Pacifica Graduate Institute

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 1797 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education Myth Psychology Therapy Narrative
  1. The program at Pacifica Graduate Institute offers an eight-month training in personal narrative work, suitable for clinicians/therapists and individuals interested in deepening their personal work with fairy tales and storytelling.
  2. Participants will explore fairy tales as a reflection of the collective unconscious, use fairy tales to rewrite self-narratives, and learn practices for personal growth and therapeutic applications.
  3. The course structure includes monthly recorded lectures, live Zoom discussions, resource lists, and creative prompts, aiming for an interactive and engaging learning experience.

The future of AI, work, and the world

Granted • 4751 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Work Geopolitics Psychology Podcasts
  1. Encourage a love for learning in kids rather than pushing for practical majors. Liberal arts education is about expanding minds, not just building careers.
  2. Gain diverse perspectives to broaden your mind. Explore topics like AI, global geopolitics, and work happiness.
  3. Question the status quo in education and work. Focus on asking the right questions, embracing ambiguity, and challenging common myths.

Open Thread 313

Astral Codex Ten • 2202 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research Genetics Psychology Fiction Education
  1. Genes matter 2x as much as the environment in schizophrenia, not 4x as previously thought
  2. A study on political reasoning errors failed to replicate, questioning a larger literature on the topic
  3. Humans merging with AI may not be unprecedented, as evidenced by a medieval Italian man merging with a knife

ROGD, AGP, Mothers, and Sons—Common Sense Thoughts by Not a Psychologist

Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) • 2476 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Gender Parenting Psychology Identity Children
  1. Mothers should not label children as AGP without solid data to support it.
  2. Educating boys on challenges of adolescence can help them navigate gender dysphoria without medicalization.
  3. Resistance to rising ideologies about AGP in boys is important to protect vulnerable children.

Belief exhaustion (part one)

Brain Pizza • 728 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Beliefs Ideologies Psychology Neuroscience Crisis
  1. Belief exhaustion is the emotional and psychological toll on individuals rigidly adhering to extreme beliefs, resulting in mental and emotional fatigue.
  2. Some people experience belief exhaustion and end up giving up their convictions due to the demanding nature of their beliefs.
  3. The collapse of political regimes sometimes shows the phenomenon of belief exhaustion, where individuals abandon their certainties leading to a rapid disintegration of shared reality.

Gaslighting: The Psychology of Shaping Another’s Reality or How Mass Perception is Manufactured

Through A Glass Darkly • 2397 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Media Manipulation Music History
  1. Gaslighting is a real and effective means to shape perception of reality.
  2. Mass gaslighting on a global scale is causing widespread disinformation and questioning of sanity.
  3. Questioning the prescribed reality and taking back control is the key to escaping mental prisons and regaining power.

Good At Sex: Seduction Via Narrative Reinforcement (pt 7)

Knowingless • 1188 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Sexual Health Relationships Psychology Self-Improvement
  1. Seduction is seen as a collaborative activity where both parties want the same thing - to overcome barriers and enjoy sex together.
  2. People often seek to reinforce narratives about themselves, so being able to sell the right self-image to someone can be a powerful tool in seduction.
  3. Understanding and appealing to a person's core desires and self-conception can be more effective in seduction than just focusing on physical attractiveness or immediate desires.

The Profile Dossier: Nick Saban, America's Most Successful Coach

The Profile • 1650 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Coaching Success Leadership Psychology Techniques
  1. Nick Saban focuses on constant improvement and attention to detail in all aspects of preparation and leadership
  2. Saban believes in investing time in habits that align with your goals and identity
  3. To be successful, one should focus on persistence, a champion's attitude in all endeavors, and taking personal responsibility for outcomes

The psychology of midlife

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 6689 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Menopause Self-discovery Transition Emotions
  1. The midlife transition is a period of questioning and self-discovery, often coinciding with perimenopause, leading to existential angst and a search for meaning.
  2. Emotional correlates of the midlife transition can include a decline in happiness, aimlessness, self-doubt, boredom, and concerns about aging and death.
  3. Navigating the midlife transition involves embracing the challenges and exploring synchronicities, dreams, and solitude to find a new story and purpose in life.

The Christmas Tree Effect

Range Widely • 3184 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🔬 Science Psychology Research Behavior Cognition Innovation
  1. Sometimes, to solve problems, we should consider taking things away rather than adding more.
  2. Interesting distractions can increase accidents on roads by affecting a driver's cognitive load.
  3. Humans tend to overlook solutions that involve removing things, and the subtraction game can be a helpful approach in various aspects of life.

Against Diner–Grilled Cheese Theories Of Donald Trump’s Popularity (Or Anything Else)

Singal-Minded • 507 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Psychology Donald Trump Voters American culture
  1. Restaurants often make food taste better by using more fat which is not always healthy, a useful rule of thumb
  2. Psychological theories don't always give new insights into complex questions like explaining Donald Trump's popularity
  3. Be cautious about relying too heavily on psychology to explain multifaceted societal events

Aristotle vs the Stoics: part II, ethics

Figs in Winter: New Stoicism and beyond • 943 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Metaphysics Logic Psychology
  1. Stoics focused on practical philosophy of life, while Aristotle was more into theoretical inquiries.
  2. For Aristotle, a flourishing life required virtue and external goods, while for Stoics, virtue alone was sufficient.
  3. The ultimate goal of life for the Stoics was living in agreement with nature, while for Aristotle, it was a contemplative or politically involved life.