The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

#118 (Un)certainty

Design Lobster • 359 implied HN points • 19 Sep 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Psychology Quote Gaming Creativity
  1. In a corporate setting, "certainty theatrics" can stifle creativity by creating a culture that demands absolute certainty in inherently uncertain situations
  2. Pachinko parlors use uncertainty to create excitement and engagement, showcasing the psychological effect of intermittent reinforcement
  3. Embracing experimentation and uncertainty is vital for personal growth and avoiding becoming static or repetitive in design and in life

7 Valentine’s Day Lessons from Proust about Getting Ghosted

Litverse • 159 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Love Psychology Relationships Emotions
  1. In the chaos of online dating, sudden silence can be suffocating, especially after a first date.
  2. Ghosting is a common experience, with around 82% of people having been ghosted by someone from a dating app.
  3. Ghosting causes anxiety, builds walls of silence, and leads to paranoia – all creating a ghostly prison of uncertainty and fantasy.

Links for 2024-01-13

Axis of Ordinary • 78 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Science Psychology Politics Ukraine
  1. AI chatbots exhibit distinct behaviors from humans, often leaning towards altruism and cooperation.
  2. Advancements in AI technology like Amazon's self-talk dialogue agents and generative AI-powered experiences are being developed.
  3. In the science and technology realm, studies on the early universe, geothermal power in Iceland, and lab-grown hybrid life forms raise intriguing questions.
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Woodstock 1999: When Influencer Marketing Goes Wrong

Litverse • 259 implied HN points • 23 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Influencer Marketing Music History Psychology Social media
  1. Influencer marketing, with its significant impact and reach, has become a prominent and desirable career option in today's world.
  2. Woodstock 1999 serves as a cautionary tale of how influencer marketing, choice of influencers, and audience dynamics can lead to disastrous outcomes.
  3. In the realm of influencers, the artists become as influenced by their own influence as everyone else, which can sometimes lead to issues of authenticity, growth, and perpetual self-actualization.

Mental bric-a-brac

Disaffected Newsletter • 539 implied HN points • 28 Jun 22
🎭️ Culture Society Philosophy Politics Psychology Art
  1. Ghost stories can be really scary, even if someone doesn't believe in ghosts. It's interesting how fear can make us question what we are truly afraid of.
  2. The idea that both political sides are equally bad is troubling. It can lead to people ignoring the real issues happening and wanting to stay in their comfort zone.
  3. Feeling alone in your political and moral beliefs can be heavy. It's nice to meet people who share your views, but that doesn't always lighten the emotional burden.

Feynman, Fairy Tales & Fooling Ourselves

Weekly Wisdom • 139 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Psychology Fiction Morality Spirituality Self-deception
  1. Richard Feynman emphasized the importance of not fooling oneself, as we are often prone to self-deception.
  2. Fairy tales serve as more than simple children's stories, often exploring dark themes and offering lessons through storytelling.
  3. Stories like 'The Emperor's New Clothes' highlight human tendencies such as vanity, greed, conformity, and the importance of speaking up against falsehoods.

Propaganda Looney Tunes

Variations on a Theme • 59 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Propaganda Cartoons History Psychology Current Events
  1. Cartoons have been historically used as a tool for propaganda, influencing people's perceptions and behaviors.
  2. The use of cartoons, memes, and other media in spreading information and propaganda is a common feature of modern life, with virality being a significant factor.
  3. Propaganda can have unintended consequences, as seen in historical events like the Four Pests Campaign in China, urging caution and critical thinking in the face of persuasive messaging.

Humans have a nature

Disaffected Newsletter • 499 implied HN points • 20 Jul 22
🎭️ Culture Human nature Psychology Identity Socialization
  1. Humans have a natural temperament that includes differences between sexes. These differences aren't just socially made; they come from biology too.
  2. Early experiences shape who we are, but that doesn't erase our natural characteristics. Both biology and environment play a role in developing our personalities.
  3. Accepting differences in sex psychology can help us understand each other better. It's not about limiting roles but noticing patterns in how men and women generally behave.

Links for 2023-02-15

Axis of Ordinary • 117 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🔬 Science AI Psychology Research
  1. Google released MetNet-2, a deep learning model that predicts rain better than current weather models.
  2. There is a need for drugs that strengthen identity rather than dissolve it like psychedelics.
  3. Automatic differentiation in MIT's ADEV brings AI benefits to a broader class of problems.

Action Potentials for June

Neurobiology Notes • 117 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Psychology AI
  1. A new strategy using SUM-PAINT for protein labeling shows promise in profiling multiple proteins at high resolution.
  2. Microscopy images alone can predict neural responses to visual stimuli in Drosophila optic pathways.
  3. Combining EM and fluorescence microscopy allows for cost-effective connectomics studies in the mouse cerebellum.

Rising Tides of Hopelessness: The Emergence of Doomer Culture 🌋

Tripsitter • 119 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology Movies Philosophy Existentialism Mental health
  1. Doomerism is a worldview that believes in imminent catastrophic collapse due to various issues like climate change and political corruption, leading to feelings of hopelessness and isolation.
  2. Doomerism is linked to existential anxiety, which involves struggling to find meaning in life and dealing with uncertainty about the future.
  3. Exploring existential themes in philosophy and seeking professional help, new experiences, and community connections can help manage doomerism and existential anxiety.

What's so alluring about incest fic?

Default Wisdom • 188 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Internet culture Fandom Psychology Online behavior Fantasy
  1. The appeal of incest fic in fandom may stem from a desire for emotional intimacy and intensity.
  2. Online behaviors like playing the victim can be influenced by internet culture and the need for validation.
  3. Being labeled 'dangerous' online can hold a certain allure, while being called 'insincere' can be more dismissive and delegitimizing.

Mental health in space: don’t get too crazy about space

Space Ambition • 299 implied HN points • 18 Nov 22
🔬 Science Space Psychology Medicine Technology Health
  1. Space travel is really tough on astronauts' mental health. They deal with social and sensory deprivation, plus the stress of strict schedules and technical tasks, which can lead to serious issues if not managed well.
  2. Preventing mental health problems in space is key. Space agencies carefully select astronauts based on their personalities and provide support like remote check-ins and family care packages to keep morale high.
  3. As space missions get longer and more complex, the need for dedicated mental health support will grow. Future solutions might include AI tools and better station designs to help astronauts cope with mental challenges during missions.

Insta-Cucked

Many Such Cases • 299 implied HN points • 20 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Relationships Social media Sexuality Psychology Gender Studies
  1. Some people on Instagram ask others to cuck them without really knowing what it means. They just send a direct message without any introduction.
  2. Cuckolding is about feeling powerless, but messaging a stranger isn't the right way to explore this desire. Understanding one's own feelings is important.
  3. It's frustrating when people think they can easily get others to fulfill their fantasies online. Real connections are more meaningful than quick messages.

We Live in a Jaeger's World

72 Degrees North • 79 implied HN points • 31 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Society Psychology Workplace Hierarchy
  1. Nature has elements of competition and aggression that are seen as characteristics of a Jaeger bird in the animal kingdom.
  2. Mental health issues like depression can affect anyone and are not just for the 'mentally ill', but can be worsened by societal pressures like burnout.
  3. Corporate structures often promote a culture of competition to suffer rather than competition to excel, leading to negative impacts on employees' well-being and favoring those with psychopathic traits.

Science writing update, August 2023 edition

Science Fictions • 229 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🔬 Science Research Medicine Publication Psychology Replication
  1. LK-99, the 'room-temperature superconductor', turned out not to be true despite initial social media hype and extravagant claims.
  2. Transparency in scientific publication processes, like preprints and peer review at eLife, can lead to challenges like circulating false claims.
  3. The approval of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease may not always mean groundbreaking results, highlighting the importance of critically analyzing scientific breakthrough claims.

Microaggressions: A Chapter from The Mean Girl Handbook

Unsafe Science • 122 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Gender Psychology Communication Society Education
  1. Microaggressions are everyday verbal or nonverbal behaviors that can communicate negative messages to marginalized groups.
  2. Microaggression training sessions focus on self-reflection and awareness of subtle behaviors in workplace interactions.
  3. Women are more likely to engage in relational aggression, which involves gossiping and social exclusion.

When prospect theory and poker bubbles collide

The Leap • 1 HN point • 12 Sep 24
🎾 Sports Poker Decision-making Psychology Risk management Gaming
  1. In poker tournaments, players often face decisions that can greatly affect their outcomes. Choosing whether to play it safe or take risks can make all the difference in winnings.
  2. Prospect theory shows that people view gains and losses differently, often fearing losses more than valuing equivalent gains. This means players may avoid risks, even when the potential rewards are greater.
  3. Even though playing aggressively didn't work out this time, taking calculated risks can lead to bigger rewards in the long run. Balancing risk and safety is important in both poker and life.

Links for 2024-01-16

Axis of Ordinary • 58 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics AI Space Psychology Miscellaneous Politics Ukraine
  1. AI advancements include evaluating LLMs on protocol planning in biology and using multiple AI models for transparent robot plans.
  2. Space exploration discusses Titan's potential for human colonization and the unique properties of the Godel universe.
  3. Psychology insights cover diminished neural responses in autistic adults and the tendency of people to shun help in challenging situations.

AI Girlfriends Are Here and Women Should Be Thankful

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 179 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Technology Relationships Gender Society Psychology
  1. AI girlfriends are becoming popular, offering men companionship at a low cost.
  2. Women can benefit from men opting for AI girlfriends, reducing undesirable options in the dating pool.
  3. While AI girlfriends may raise concerns about unhealthy relationship expectations, real human connections are valued for their complexity and disagreements.

Lost in Navigation: Overcoming the Paradox of Choice in UX Design

UX Psychology • 99 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🕹 Technology UX Design Psychology Navigation User Research Information Architecture
  1. Providing more choices in user interfaces does not always lead to better decisions due to the paradox of choice - too many options can lead to decision overload and poorer choices.
  2. Choice paralysis in UX occurs when users are overwhelmed with options, leading to inaction or abandonment of tasks - simplifying navigation options can help prevent this.
  3. Hick's Law states that decision time increases with the number of choices available, emphasizing the importance of streamlining navigation design to reduce cognitive effort and aid decision-making for users.

RhetVis #1: Introduction to Rhetorical Data Visualization

Aika’s Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🚌 Education Data Visualization Rhetoric Statistics Ethics Psychology
  1. Rhetorical Data Visualization involves framing that influences interpretations of data visualizations.
  2. Visualizations are inherently biased and reflect the creator's inclinations.
  3. The course on Rhetorical Data Visualization aims to develop skills in analyzing and creating visualizations with integrity and humility.

Edu-Snippets

The Science of Learning • 139 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🚌 Education Pedagogy Psychology Cognitive Science Technology Nature
  1. Giving students worked examples in math can help them feel less anxious and learn better. It makes math easier for those who usually struggle with it.
  2. Being in nature can help people feel more relaxed and focused, while watching videos of nature doesn't have the same benefits. For real restoration, you need real nature.
  3. Brain training apps may help you get better at their specific games, but they don’t really make you smarter in everyday life. They haven't shown strong proof of boosting general brain skills.

Understanding Human Personality

Mind & Mythos • 319 implied HN points • 17 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Personality Mental health Behavioral Science Emotional Wellbeing
  1. Personality describes who people are and can change over time or in different situations. It's not just about traits, but also about how people can act differently under various circumstances.
  2. The Five Factor Model (FFM) outlines five major traits—Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness—which help us understand how personality affects our actions and relationships.
  3. Cybernetic Big Five Theory explains how our personality traits drive our goals and behaviors. It shows how feedback from our environment helps us adapt and achieve what we need.

Economics and Evolutionary Psychology

David Friedman’s Substack • 143 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology Evolution Behavior Economics Biology
  1. Economics predicts individual behavior based on personal goals, while evolutionary psychology focuses on genes' goals for reproductive success.
  2. Evolutionary psychology sees the human mind as specialized modules shaped by Darwinian evolution for survival in hunter-gatherer environments.
  3. Behavioral inconsistencies in economics can be explained by beliefs in 'just prices' influenced by evolutionary psychology and ancestral trading practices.