The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Why the Jews?

Skeptic • 59 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology Beliefs Extremism Ideology
  1. Anti-Semitism and xenophobia may stem from a need for enemies.
  2. Political extremists hold absolute certainty in their beliefs and exhibit open hatred towards opponents.
  3. The psychology of belief systems shows the importance of having enemies to define causes and create unity.

#94 For the love of things

Design Lobster • 199 implied HN points • 15 Nov 21
🪑 Design Objects Psychology Quotes Podcasts
  1. Aichaku represents the attachment one can feel for an object; aim for a design that fosters a healthy relationship.
  2. Baoding Balls are stress-relief tools with physical and mental benefits; consider how your design impacts the well-being of users.
  3. Promote balance in the relationship between humans and the technological objects we use; as designers, we have a responsibility to ensure this balance.

Exegesis: A Powerful Analytical Tool

Polymathic Being • 73 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Religion Psychology Interpretation Analysis Systems Thinking
  1. Exegesis is a powerful analytical tool that helps shift perspective by digging deeper into topics.
  2. It contrasts with eisegesis, which involves reading into situations based on biases and interpretations.
  3. Exegesis can be applied to various subjects to challenge assumptions, promote critical thinking, and gain a better understanding of historical and contemporary contexts.

AI (mis)alignment, Waluigi, and the Knobe Effect

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Language Models Psychology
  1. It can be easier for AI language models to produce harmful responses than helpful ones. This idea is known as the Waluigi Effect.
  2. AI models learn from human text, including human biases like the Knobe Effect, where people assign more blame for accidental harm than credit for accidental good.
  3. When prompted to behave a certain way, AI can easily shift to the opposite behavior, showing how delicate their training can be and how misunderstandings can happen.
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The game theory of seduction and marriage... with Jane Austen

Optimally Irrational • 38 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Psychology Romance Interactions Social norms
  1. Finding a romantic partner can be complex, involving significant time, effort, and thought due to the high stakes involved in love and seduction.
  2. In Jane Austen's novels, the economic considerations of marriage underscore the immense importance of women's choices in selecting a partner.
  3. Navigating romantic interactions involves understanding higher-order beliefs and carefully managing ambiguity, a key aspect seen across different time periods in the courtship process.

Off the top of my head 💭 — Availability bias

10x your mind • 99 implied HN points • 23 Jun 22
🔬 Science Psychology Media Investing Decision-making Research
  1. The availability bias influences decision-making by making us rely on easy, quick examples that come to mind, rather than considering a full range of options.
  2. People tend to overestimate their own contributions while underestimating others'. Understanding this bias can help in recognizing and diffusing tension in teamwork.
  3. Personal experiences and media significantly impact the examples that come to mind, affecting our perceptions and decision-making processes. Being aware of this bias is key to making more balanced judgments.

I Love Pain

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 7 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Personal Growth Motivation Psychology Self-help
  1. Getting out of your comfort zone is important. If you only stick to what's easy, you won't achieve much and might end up feeling regret.
  2. Embracing pain can lead to growth. Instead of avoiding difficult situations, running headfirst into them can open up new opportunities and experiences.
  3. Success is about perspective. Even if things don't work out as planned, you'll still learn something valuable from the experience.

Should psycholinguists use LLMs as "model organisms"?

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
🔬 Science Cognitive Science Psychology Linguistics Language processing
  1. Using model organisms in research helps scientists study complex systems where human testing isn't possible. But ethics and how well these models represent humans are big concerns.
  2. LLMs, or Large Language Models, may offer a new way to study language by providing insights without needing to use animal models. They can help test theories about language acquisition and comprehension.
  3. Though LLMs have serious limitations, they can still be useful for understanding how language functions. Researchers can learn about what types of input are important and how language is processed in the brain.

The Art of Difficult Conversations with Sara Ness

The Bigger Picture • 159 implied HN points • 05 Mar 22
🚌 Education Communication Conflict resolution Psychology Relationships Ideology
  1. Learn techniques from mediation, Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, Nonviolent Communication, and more to enhance communication skills
  2. Understand conflict from internal, relational, and philosophical levels to bridge divides and improve connections
  3. Develop skills to engage in difficult conversations effectively and navigate polarized issues with more empathy and understanding

Where Anxiety Comes From

Kartick’s Blog • 17 implied HN points • 12 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Anxiety Self-help Personal Development Psychology
  1. Anxiety often stems from past experiences that left a mark on us. For instance, if you were in an accident, you might feel anxious in similar situations.
  2. We tend to feel anxious about things that could happen again in the future. If something bad happened before, knowing it could happen again makes us worried.
  3. Finally, anxiety can come from feeling unprepared to handle those situations if they arise again. When we believe we can't manage a problem, it adds to our anxiety.

Making the best of the past ⏳ — Fading Affect bias (FAB)

10x your mind • 79 implied HN points • 25 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Memory Emotions Psychology Mindset Optimism
  1. Our tendency to remember pleasant emotions better than unpleasant ones is called the Fading Affect Bias (FAB), helping our brain maintain a positive self-image by fading negative emotions faster.
  2. Psychologists focusing on positive emotions with the broaden-and-build theory by Barbara Fredrickson found that ample positive emotions lead to resilience, creativity, and better health.
  3. People usually fall into two categories: past positive or past negative, affecting how they recall memories; sharing events with others, especially positive ones, can help lighten emotional intensity.

Money Burn

Polymathic Being • 66 implied HN points • 24 Sep 23
💰 Finance Wealth Spending Charity Psychology Support
  1. We tend to hesitate to give fair prices to those in need while easily overpaying for unnecessary luxury items.
  2. We often show generosity to those who don't require it, while driving a hard bargain with those in need.
  3. Our spending behaviors are driven by the dopamine hits we get from scoring bargains and splurging on luxuries; it's about reframing our perspective to support those in need more.

The Stuff of Thought and Feeling

Holodoxa • 59 implied HN points • 26 Feb 23
🔬 Science Psychology Evolutionary Psychology Behaviorism Psychometrics
  1. Paul Bloom's book 'Psych' offers a comprehensive overview of modern psychology focusing on foundational concepts and influential psychologists.
  2. The book addresses controversial psychological ideas and presents commentaries on existing research, making it accessible yet thoughtful.
  3. Readers may find particular value in the Foundations and Differences sections, and while the book lacks in-depth methodology discussions, it provides a solid introduction to the field.

2804m above sea level

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 01 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology Sociology Education Personal Growth Creativity
  1. Discussing not-knowing can be uncomfortable, especially when there are too many people involved. It’s hard to have a deep conversation with large and diverse groups.
  2. Different people have different ways of dealing with not-knowing, which can lead to confusion and discomfort during discussions. Finding common ground is important.
  3. Preparing for discomfort in new experiences, like snowboarding, can help. Sometimes, facing unknowns can lead to unexpected enjoyment and learning.

Friendship Paradox

Brain Lenses • 19 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🔬 Science Psychology Sociology Research
  1. The Friendship Paradox states that your friends likely have more friends than you.
  2. People with a lot of friends are more likely to show up in multiple friend groups.
  3. This phenomenon skews the sample pool when looking at a random person's friend group.

Our friends shape our memory

Klement on Investing • 3 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🔬 Science Psychology Cognition Memory Social Behavior Neuroscience
  1. Our memories are not like videos; we actually rebuild them each time we recall information. This means they can be easily influenced by others.
  2. People tend to remember things better when they are related to someone they trust or feel connected to. This makes our memories less reliable for those outside our social circles.
  3. Misinformation can spread easily because we are less accurate in recalling what people from other groups say or do. This makes us more susceptible to believing false claims about them.

#66 Talking to machines

Design Lobster • 239 implied HN points • 03 May 21
🪑 Design Technology Automotive Psychology Quotes Creativity
  1. Interacting with technology often feels personal because our brains can't distinguish between machines and people, ascribing intentions and feelings to them.
  2. Designing interactions with software should aim to make it feel like dealing with a pleasant human, not a troublesome entity.
  3. The phenomenon of pareidolia is utilized in the automotive industry to make cars seem more desirable by intentionally creating angry faces in car designs.

Coming soon

Disaffected Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 29 May 22
🎙 Podcasts Media Communication Culture Entertainment Psychology
  1. There's a new newsletter focused on abnormal psychology. It's about how unusual behaviors are becoming normal.
  2. The writer encourages people to subscribe for updates and insights. This could be a great way to learn more about psychology.
  3. The newsletter might share interesting discussions or topics related to mental health. It's a chance to explore what makes us tick.

Learning to Touch type again

Deus In Machina • 72 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Programming Psychology
  1. Learning to use an ergonomic keyboard like Kinesis Advantage 360 can help reduce wrist and nerve pain from excessive keyboard use.
  2. Practicing touch typing on websites like keybr.com can help improve typing speed and accuracy, even with a new keyboard layout.
  3. Adjusting to an ergonomic keyboard for activities like gaming and programming may require remapping keys, creating profiles, and adapting to a new learning curve.

Cognitive Science needs linguistic diversity

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🔬 Science Cognitive Science Linguistics Psychology Human behavior
  1. Cognitive science and linguistics are often too focused on English, which means we miss out on understanding how different languages work. Studying only a few languages makes it hard to see the full picture of language and cognition.
  2. Different languages influence how we think and perceive the world. For example, some languages have unique ways of expressing colors or time that can change how speakers of those languages understand these concepts.
  3. To improve our understanding of cognition, researchers need to include a wider variety of languages in their studies. We should explore languages beyond English to get a better grasp on how the human mind works across different cultures.

The best behavioral frameworks for creating great products

The Kahneman Bot • 39 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Behavioral Science Product Development User Behavior Psychology
  1. Behavioral frameworks play a crucial role in product development by focusing on influencing user behavior and decision-making.
  2. Frameworks like EAST, Hooked, and Influence offer practical guidelines for improving products by making actions easy, attractive, and timely.
  3. Models like COM-B and Fogg's Behavior Model help product teams consider the wider environment and factors influencing user behavior.

On 'The Narcissist Society'

Castalia • 59 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Philosophy Society Literature Psychology History
  1. Christopher Lasch argued that the culture of the 1970s led to a rise in narcissism, showing a shift from community-focused attitudes to a self-centered mindset. People started focusing more on their individual needs and feelings rather than collective well-being.
  2. Lasch believed that therapy had taken the place of religion and created a culture where personal issues and self-obsession were prioritized over societal problems. He viewed this as a dangerous trend that ultimately produced a sense of nihilism in society.
  3. The antidote to societal narcissism can be found in healthy self-love that embraces the past and values personal growth. Rather than adhering to modern trends, people can find inner freedom by understanding their history and cultivating meaningful connections.

Happy times ahead 🌈 — Optimism Bias

10x your mind • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology Self-Improvement Decision-making Wellness
  1. The optimism bias is when we tend to overestimate good things happening to us and underestimate bad things.
  2. Optimists tend to overestimate their abilities and the role of their capabilities in success, and they hate the feeling of not being in control.
  3. Understanding the optimism bias can help us make better decisions, stay motivated during tough times, and be more realistic about our plans.

Are Alien Abductions Real?

Marlene’s Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 02 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Mythology Psychology Science fiction Social Behavior
  1. Many people believe they have been abducted by aliens, but their experiences can sometimes be explained by psychological factors or sleep disturbances.
  2. Studies have shown that these individuals might create false memories due to suggestive techniques like hypnosis, rather than actually experiencing abductions.
  3. Despite their scary stories, many self-identified abductees feel a sense of specialness or connection to something greater, often interpreting their experiences as significant.

Are We Getting Dumber?

Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology • 31 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🔬 Science Intelligence Fertility Genetics Psychology Data Analysis
  1. There is a negative correlation between IQ and fertility across the world, suggesting a decline in intelligence over time.
  2. More developed countries show a weaker decline in intelligence compared to less developed nations.
  3. Embryo selection for intelligence could potentially offset the decline in intelligence, especially in wealthier countries.

Liminal Thinking

QUALITY BOSS • 2 HN points • 16 Jul 24
📖 Philosophy Belief systems Personal Growth Psychology Change Management Self-help
  1. Changing your beliefs can change your life. By shifting how you think, you can create a new reality for yourself.
  2. Liminal thinking encourages you to look at the patterns in your life. Identify negative cycles and imagine ways to turn them into positive experiences.
  3. Understanding that beliefs shape our identity is key. If we challenge and reshape our beliefs, we can change how we see ourselves and improve our lives.

Mental Obsessions and Letting Go

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 10 implied HN points • 17 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-help Psychology Personal Growth Emotional Wellbeing
  1. Letting go is important when helping friends or family. You can support someone without needing a response; it's their choice how to handle their problems.
  2. Mental obsessions can drain your happiness. Instead of getting caught up in worries about others, focus on things you can control and help others when possible.
  3. Most people aren't thinking about you as much as you think they are. Everyone has their own issues, so try not to take things personally and remember, it’s okay to let go.

The attention span myth

UX Psychology • 119 implied HN points • 20 Oct 21
🔬 Science Psychology Attention
  1. The myth about the average human attention span being 8 seconds (less than a goldfish) is false. Attention span is task-dependent, influenced by various factors like task demands, motivation, and arousal level.
  2. Motivated reasoning and social validation play a role in the prevalence of attention span myths. People are inclined to believe information that aligns with their existing beliefs.
  3. The snackable content trend, driven by the attention span myth, emphasizes short, easy-to-consume content over quality. Understanding user needs and providing quality experiences are crucial for engaging audiences.

Demand Characteristics in UX Research

UX Psychology • 79 implied HN points • 11 Apr 22
🕹 Technology UX Research User Behavior Research Methods Psychology Ethics
  1. Participants in research studies often change their natural behavior to match what they think the researcher expects.
  2. Demand characteristics, the Hawthorne effect, and social desirability bias are related but have subtle differences in how they impact participant behavior.
  3. To mitigate the impact of demand characteristics in UX research, strategies like using a double-blind approach, being mindful of participant cues, recruiting diverse participants, and employing methodological triangulation can be effective.

Proof is in the doing

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 10 Jan 22
🎭️ Culture Self-help Education Psychology Communication Technology
  1. It's easy to feel like you know something when you only understand it on the surface. True understanding comes from actually doing and applying what you've learned.
  2. Impostor syndrome can affect even the most capable people. It's important to recognize when familiarity is not the same as true competence.
  3. Being familiar with complex subjects is okay for making decisions. However, you should always be cautious not to overestimate your understanding of them.

Humans, LLMs, and the symbol grounding problem (pt. 2)

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 07 Dec 22
🕹 Technology AI Language Cognition Philosophy Psychology
  1. Understanding language might not need physical experiences. This means that Large Language Models could potentially understand language differently than humans do.
  2. People can grasp abstract concepts and visual information even without direct experiences, like those who are blind or those with aphantasia. This challenges the idea that you must physically experience something to understand it.
  3. Using language itself can be a way to learn about the world. Language helps us form ideas and understand concepts, even if we haven't experienced everything firsthand.

Leadership Lab #23 | Being in your Funk

The Leadership Lab • 78 implied HN points • 28 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Self-care Well-being Psychology Mindfulness
  1. Funks happen, and it's important to accept and be in them. Avoid having an avoidance mindset and shift towards an approach mindset.
  2. Navigate through a funk by focusing on balancing stress and rest cycles rather than overworking or completely avoiding work.
  3. Practice awareness, acceptance, and letting go to move through a funk. Embrace the journey of being in a funk instead of trying to escape it.

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 25 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
📚 Literature Book review Themes Technology Psychology Human behavior
  1. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton addresses important modern themes like privacy, capitalism, conservation, politics, and compromise, making it a significant literary achievement.
  2. The novel skillfully uses technology to delve into human behavior and psychology, showcasing the eternal themes of infatuation, idealism, and ruthlessness.
  3. The book exemplifies an intriguing juxtaposition of characters and themes, illustrating the challenges of modernity and the consequences of trying to mix incompatible ideologies.