The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Links for 2024-01-12

Axis of Ordinary • 39 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. AI advancements showcased in different domains like video models, AI glasses for the visually impaired, and AI-powered cough tracking apps.
  2. Exciting developments in astronomy with potential signs of life on exoplanets.
  3. Innovation in computing with faster nanotechnology, graphene spintronics, and Silicon Photonics breaking bandwidth limitations.

Links for 2024-01-08

Axis of Ordinary • 39 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. AI can learn to make coffee by watching humans.
  2. Monte Carlo Simulation offers a simple solution to hard problems in math.
  3. Big Five dimensions are not universally identified in different populations for psychology research.

Why Are Teens Still Risking Their Lives for Likes?

Beyond the Screen • 12 implied HN points • 20 Oct 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Teens often take dangerous challenges for likes because they crave attention and validation online. This need for social approval can make risky behavior seem appealing.
  2. Social media algorithms tend to promote extreme and shocking content, which encourages more dangerous trends to spread quickly. This makes it hard to stop harmful content once it gains traction.
  3. To help teens, we should focus on teaching them digital literacy and emotional awareness about social media. Encouraging healthy ways to seek recognition, like art or community projects, can also help replace risky behaviors.

Why People Are Irrational About Politics

Fake Noûs • 230 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Psychology
  1. The post discusses why people are irrational about politics and presents an explanation for this behavior.
  2. The content is available only for paid subscribers, indicating a sense of exclusivity.
  3. The author references a publication in _Philosophy, Politics, and Economics_ as a basis for the post, showing an academic foundation.

The Region-Beta Paradox and its Impact on Product and Experimentation Thinking

CAUSL Effect • 119 implied HN points • 12 Apr 23
💼 Business Psychology
  1. The Region-Beta Paradox shows that people often tolerate mild discomfort until they reach a more intense state, which can lead to faster recovery. In simple terms, we might ignore small problems until they become serious.
  2. This idea can change how product teams think about improving customer experiences. Instead of aiming for perfect satisfaction, it might be okay to allow for some mild frustration, as it can be a signal for customers to take action.
  3. Not all products need to be perfect to be successful. Sometimes, a product that fits well in the market is more important than one that delivers an ideal experience but lacks user interest.
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Science Fictions links for November 2023

Science Fictions • 275 implied HN points • 19 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. The Science Fictions Substack shares interesting, amusing, and depressing bad-science links.
  2. Scientific fields like Alzheimer's and physics face issues with scientific fraud and retractions.
  3. Open Science practices like pre-registering studies can lead to high replication rates.

A psychology PhD's journey from academe to human factors engineering

The Recovering Academic • 59 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Ashley Ruba transitioned successfully from academia to the industry, showcasing the value of building online professional relationships.
  2. The academic job market can be challenging and unmeritocratic, leading to difficulties in securing faculty positions despite impressive achievements.
  3. Ashley Ruba's journey highlights the importance of exploring career options outside of academia, especially when facing challenges like limited job prospects and the impact of external factors.

No Clear Answers

The Leadership Lab • 59 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🎙 Podcasts Psychology
  1. After a failed coaching program launch, the team regrouped to create 'No Clear Answers' podcast.
  2. The podcast aims to provide fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thoughts, and have fun.
  3. Episodes explore topics like imposter syndrome, motivation, and manifestation with actionable ideas.

Story: Adaptation or Spandrel?

Holodoxa • 79 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Humans rely on stories to make sense of the world, whether derived from reality or imagination, and storytelling may have played a vital role in human survival and development.
  2. Storytelling has a unique structure that simplifies the complexity of life and allows for the synchronization of countless minds, shaping societies, movements, and institutions.
  3. The debate on whether storytelling is an adaptation or a spandrel is significant in understanding human nature, with arguments for both sides pointing to storytelling's impact on cognitive functions, social cohesion, and group dynamics.

The hungry ghost of arrival bias

Mindset Mastery • 58 implied HN points • 10 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  1. Feelings of being behind or not reaching a destination are common but often based on a misleading concept of arrival bias.
  2. Arrival bias leads us to believe that reaching certain milestones will bring fulfillment, but in reality, there is no ultimate destination that guarantees happiness.
  3. Happiness and satisfaction come from appreciating the small moments along the journey rather than fixating on reaching a specific 'there.'

Notes on Trading using Tom Dante's teachings.

Philoinvestor • 58 implied HN points • 26 May 23
💰 Finance Psychology
  1. You are the edge in trading, not the systems.
  2. Tom Dante created the Demon Finder tool to identify and clear trading mistakes.
  3. Common errors in trading include boredom, FOMO, fear, moving stops prematurely, biased thinking, and lack of discipline.
  4. Remember in trading: no free trades, don't rely solely on momentum, profitability in a niche is useless without patience.

Making Sense of Consciousness Part 1: Perceptual Awareness

Rough Diamonds • 32 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Consciousness is all about personal experiences and awareness of self, and it's usually absent during deep sleep or anesthesia. Understanding how consciousness works doesn't require diving into complex philosophy.
  2. There are fascinating phenomena like blindsight, where people can respond to visual stimuli without consciously seeing them, showing that our brains can process information even when we're not aware of it.
  3. Similar to blindsight, there are cases of 'deaf hearing' and 'numb touch,' where individuals can react to sounds or sensations without consciously feeling them. This suggests that perception can happen on different levels, even with brain damage.

No, evolutionary theory does not justify your worst political nightmare

Optimally Irrational • 79 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Psychology
  1. Evolutionary theory doesn't support any specific political ideology, even though some people misuse it for their own agendas. It's important to focus on the science itself without letting politics influence our understanding.
  2. While evolution can seem harsh, it also highlights the importance of cooperation. Our ability to work together is key to our success as a species, not just competition.
  3. Misunderstanding evolutionary ideas can lead to false claims about human behavior, such as justifying sexism or selfishness. Recognizing the facts of evolution can help us build better societies that account for human nature.

Ways of Seeing—On Bernhard's Old Masters

Vremya • 199 implied HN points • 11 Aug 22
📚 Literature Psychology
  1. Everything in art, as in life, has flaws. When we look closely, we’ll often find faults, even in the greatest masterpieces.
  2. Our personal experiences shape how we see the world. Sometimes, our pain or feelings can color our view of things, making us more critical or negative.
  3. Losing someone we love changes everything. It can make us see things differently, and sometimes, we may feel that nothing else holds the same meaning or value.

Building the science factory with LLMs

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Large Language Models (LLMs) could make scientific research faster and more efficient. They might help researchers come up with better hypotheses and analyze data more easily.
  2. Breaking down the research process into smaller parts might allow automation in areas like designing experiments and preparing stimuli. This could save time and improve the quality of research.
  3. While automating parts of scientific research can be helpful, it's important to ensure that human involvement remains, as fully automating the process could lead to lower-quality science.

Everyone’s watching me 😳 — Spotlight effect

10x your mind • 139 implied HN points • 14 Jul 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  1. The spotlight effect makes us believe others are paying more attention to us than they actually are. People are generally focused on themselves rather than scrutinizing every detail about us.
  2. We have an egocentric bias that leads us to think others care more about our actions than they actually do. Most people are too focused on their own insecurities to notice ours.
  3. Free yourself from the spotlight effect by being aware that people don't judge us as much as we think. Embrace being unapologetically yourself and pursue your goals without worrying about others' opinions.

Five books Sam Altman recommends

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
📚 Literature Psychology
  1. Reading deeply changes what a person can become by sharpening judgment, deepening empathy, and helping make sense of big forces like AI.
  2. A small set of books can act as an operating manual: find meaning, spot cognitive biases, build genuinely new things, believe in progress, and learn how to scale fast.
  3. Treat reading as a deliberate practice—give yourself time to read, think, and reflect so you can choose better work and make bolder, clearer decisions.

How to optimize your pricing page

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 315 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Reinforce the value proposition on your pricing page to help prospects understand how your product solves their pain.
  2. Focus on the foundational aspects of your pricing page before diving into pricing hacks.
  3. Avoid overwhelming prospects by providing clear and concise information, emphasizing benefits over features.

Would Cats Make for Better Dogs?

Erik Examines • 89 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Cats and dogs have very different bodies and strengths. Dogs are built for endurance and can run longer distances, while cats have strong, flexible bodies that are better for short bursts of energy.
  2. Cats are independent and don't need as much exercise as dogs. This makes them more suited to relaxing with humans, while dogs expect more active playtime and walks.
  3. Giving a dog a cat's body wouldn't work well, and vice versa. Each animal is designed for different tasks and environments, which is why they act and serve us in unique ways.

Careers: Aligning Stated and Revealed Preferences

Moral Mayhem Podcast • 19 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Many people think their career paths are more straightforward than they actually are. It's okay to change jobs if you're not happy, as often the risks are lower than you think.
  2. People sometimes stay in jobs longer than they should because they're worried about making a change. Remember, doors don't completely close and new opportunities often arise.
  3. Anxiety about career choices can feel overwhelming because of how much we tie our value to work. However, this fear usually doesn't match the reality of risk when trying something new.

The Philosophy of Murder Ballads

Going Awol • 10 HN points • 12 May 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Murder ballads create emotional and cognitive dissonance in listeners by pairing violent lyrics with upbeat music, prompting listeners to primarily focus on the music over the lyrics.
  2. Listeners can resolve the tension caused by murder ballads by either ignoring the lyrics and focusing on the music, vice versa, or by finding a way to make sense of the emotional clash between the two.
  3. Enjoying murder ballads in a detached manner - appreciating the music and storytelling without endorsing the violent acts portrayed - can be a way to engage with the genre ethically.

GRANTED: The case for closing open offices and opening our minds

Granted • 99 implied HN points • 30 Sep 22
💼 Business Psychology
  1. It's important to balance caring about others' opinions and being true to your values, without conforming.
  2. Open offices have negative impacts like increased sick days and lower cognitive performance; access to private spaces is crucial for health and productivity.
  3. Consider the future of intelligence and survival; exploring deep-held beliefs and opening minds can lead to growth and progress.

You can't escape construct validity

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 27 Jun 23
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. Measuring abstract concepts like happiness is really tough. Researchers need to find good ways to define and measure these big ideas accurately.
  2. Construct validity is important for any type of research claim. It checks if what you're measuring actually reflects the concept you're interested in.
  3. Making decisions, like hiring or choosing a restaurant, involves relying on imperfect measures. It's essential to understand the limitations of these measures to make better choices.

Imposter Syndrome

Fish Food for Thought • 21 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Imposter syndrome is when people doubt their success and feel like they don't deserve it. This feeling can happen to anyone, regardless of their achievements.
  2. Many leaders struggle with imposter syndrome because there's no one right way to lead. Every leadership style works differently, and it's easy to doubt yourself by comparing to others.
  3. To overcome imposter syndrome, it's important to focus on your strengths and how your unique leadership style helps your team succeed, instead of trying to copy someone else's approach.

More info, more problems

inexactscience • 39 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. When people get more information, they often underreact instead of overreact. This means they might ignore new data instead of properly adjusting their predictions.
  2. Experiments showed that when faced with two variables, people made less accurate forecasts. Adding complexity actually made their predictions worse.
  3. Having clear instructions and understanding of the information really helps improve decision-making. If people are confused, they tend to ignore important details.

mathiness instills confidence

bad cattitude • 165 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Mathiness can make people feel more confident, especially if they aren't familiar with math.
  2. Adding complex math or 'mathiness' to information can influence how people perceive its quality, especially if they lack knowledge in math and models.
  3. It's important to be cautious of trusting information just because it includes numbers or complex equations; don't assume accuracy or rigor without verifying.

PREVIEW: The Three Archetypes of Internet Overexposure Syndrome

Default Wisdom • 77 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. There are three main types of reactions people have to constant internet use: the Autist, the Schizo, and the Borderline. Each type represents a different way of dealing with online exposure.
  2. The Autist may focus on details and facts, while the Schizo might feel confused or paranoid about online information. The Borderline can experience intense emotions related to their online interactions.
  3. Understanding these archetypes can help us recognize our own behaviors and feelings about the internet, leading to better mental health and awareness.

Women Are Crazy, Science Finally Admits

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 159 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. The article discusses the misinterpretation of women's behavior as 'crazy' and highlights the need to distinguish between actual psychopathy and common stereotypes.
  2. Female psychopathy is often subtler and harder to diagnose than male psychopathy, which is a result of existing biases in how psychopathy is recognized and studied.
  3. There's a call for more awareness and understanding of female psychopathy, breaking stereotypes, and approaching the topic with a sense of unity and cooperation rather than division.

GRANTED: Why "quiet quitting" is trending and repeating yourself is a good habit

Granted • 99 implied HN points • 28 Aug 22
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. Personality is not fixed - who you become is about what you choose to do with your traits.
  2. Quiet quitting is a response to poor work environments; meaningful work, respect, and fair pay can inspire people to excel.
  3. Repeating yourself is crucial for good communication; leaders are more likely criticized for undercommunicating than overcommunicating.

The LLM Will Meet You Where You're At

Covidian Æsthetics • 22 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. Interacting with LLMs can feel like a rich experience, similar to using psychedelics. It's about how the user engages with it, and what they bring affects the interaction.
  2. The experience with LLMs is not just about the technology but also about the user's state of mind. If users are not mentally prepared, they might struggle or feel overwhelmed.
  3. Engaging with LLMs changes the roles of users and AI. It's a collaborative experience where both influence each other, creating a unique dialogue that evolves with each interaction.

Discussion with Steve Stewart-Williams on evolutionary psychology

Optimally Irrational • 63 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. Evolutionary psychology studies behavior based on human evolution. It looks for reasons why we think and act the way we do by using ideas from evolutionary biology.
  2. While some critics argue that evolutionary psychology can lead to over-simplified stories about behavior, it still provides useful insights into human nature and basic drives.
  3. Understanding how evolution shapes our thoughts and actions can help us improve mental health and make better decisions in life and relationships.