The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

Making Sense of Consciousness Part 4: States of Consciousness

Rough Diamonds • 13 implied HN points • 08 Aug 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. The thalamus plays a big role in different states of consciousness. When it's less active, like during sleep or anesthesia, we are less aware of what's around us.
  2. Disorders of consciousness, like coma or vegetative states, often involve damage to the thalamus. This means the brain doesn't process or respond to the environment, even if the person seems awake.
  3. During deep sleep, the thalamus helps control the brain's electrical activity. It leads the body into slower wave patterns, showing it's crucial for our sleep cycles.

The Fossil Record So Far

Living Fossils • 14 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  1. Emotions are important because they help us understand our experiences and motivate us to take action. They are adaptations that have been useful throughout human history.
  2. A lot of our modern problems come from living in environments that are very different from what our ancestors knew. This mismatch can lead to various forms of psychological distress.
  3. There is a need for reform in academic psychology to better understand human behavior and mental health. Using evolutionary principles can provide a better foundation for understanding these issues.

Sociopath: A Book Review

Living Fossils • 18 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
📚 Literature Psychology
  1. The book shares a gripping story about someone living with sociopathy, showing how they experience life without common feelings like fear and guilt. This unique perspective helps readers understand the challenges and confusions they face.
  2. Gagne, the author, describes how she knows the difference between right and wrong but often doesn't care about it. This detachment influences her behavior, showing a clear contrast between sociopathy and typical emotional responses.
  3. The memoir highlights how certain emotions, like love and anger, may still exist for sociopaths, while others, like empathy and guilt, are largely absent. This creates a different way of relating to people and makes them approach life in a more utilitarian way.

GRANTED: Better arguments and new books

Granted • 79 implied HN points • 30 Jul 22
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. Impostor syndrome can be reframed as a growth mindset by acknowledging one's current abilities and the potential for improvement.
  2. Learning how to argue better can strengthen relationships and improve critical thinking skills.
  3. Engaging in small debates can be a valuable opportunity for personal growth and preparation for larger discussions.
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Friendship Paradox

Brain Lenses • 19 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🔬 Science Psychology
  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.

The High Performer's Trap: When Self-Criticism Starts Working Against You

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 20 Jun 25
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Being too hard on yourself can hurt your performance. It’s better to be kind to yourself instead of listening to your inner critic.
  2. Perfectionism can create a cycle of negative self-talk. When you set high standards, you're more likely to feel like a failure when things go wrong.
  3. Treat yourself like you would a friend. Instead of blaming yourself, focus on what you can learn and do better next time.

Links for Summer 2025

Telescopic Turnip • 17 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Bacteria can communicate using electrical signals, which might help us treat skin infections by gently convincing them to leave instead of killing them.
  2. A new drug that mimics the wakefulness hormone orexin shows promise for narcolepsy, and could potentially help others reduce their sleep needs.
  3. Research into mimicry and the evolution of bird songs reveals fascinating insights into how animals adapt and communicate over time.

Economics and Evolutionary Psychology

David Friedman’s Substack • 143 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  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.

#66 Talking to machines

Design Lobster • 239 implied HN points • 03 May 21
🪑 Design Psychology
  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.

Microaggressions: A Chapter from The Mean Girl Handbook

Unsafe Science • 122 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  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.

Coming soon

Disaffected Newsletter • 139 implied HN points • 29 May 22
🎙 Podcasts 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.

Cognitive Science needs linguistic diversity

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  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 Current State of Social Psychology

Unsafe Science • 171 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Social psychology sheds light on human nature and behaviors through research by prominent figures.
  2. The current state of social psychology is threatened by close-minded social activism that hinders open debate and research.
  3. There is a concern that the discipline may become irrelevant if trends towards censorship and ideological control continue.

The best behavioral frameworks for creating great products

The Kahneman Bot • 39 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🕹 Technology 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 Psychology
  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.

The New Expanded Illustrated Orwelexicon: DSM 666

Unsafe Science • 48 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. The New Expanded Illustrated Orwelexicon introduces new words to highlight biases and issues in psychology and academia. It aims to make these concepts clearer and more accessible.
  2. This resource shows how language can shape our understanding of societal problems. By using specific terms, it helps pinpoint dysfunctions within various fields.
  3. Overall, the Orwelexicon encourages critical thinking about psychology and social science. It invites people to reflect on how words influence perceptions and beliefs.

Happy times ahead 🌈 — Optimism Bias

10x your mind • 79 implied HN points • 16 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  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.

Liminal Thinking

QUALITY BOSS • 2 HN points • 16 Jul 24
📖 Philosophy Psychology
  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.

The Willpower to Care About Academic Debates

Living Fossils • 31 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. Ego depletion, the idea that willpower decreases after making tough choices, has been largely debunked. Many studies found that there is no strong evidence to support this theory.
  2. The ego depletion debate shows how important solid theories are in science. Without a strong theory, even widely accepted ideas can lead researchers astray.
  3. Psychology needs to be more disciplined in building ideas that align with what we know about the human mind and evolution. This helps avoid wasting time on false concepts.

The attention span myth

UX Psychology • 119 implied HN points • 20 Oct 21
🔬 Science Psychology
  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 Psychology
  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.

Book Review: The Strategy of Conflict

Skunk Ledger • 102 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
📚 Literature Psychology
  1. The book discusses mixed-motive game theory, which combines cooperation and competition.
  2. It explores the power of tacit bargaining and how abstract ideas like framing and quality can influence negotiations.
  3. The concept of commitments is highlighted, showcasing how manipulating incentives and creating a reputation can lead to strategic advantages in conflicts and negotiations.

Cute Crushing

Living Fossils • 10 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Cute aggression is a real feeling where people want to squeeze or pinch cute things because they find them so adorable. It's not harmful; it's just a funny reaction to cuteness.
  2. Humans are naturally drawn to caring for cute animals and babies because they remind us of the need for protection and nurturing. Cuteness triggers feelings that motivate us to help.
  3. There's a theory that feeling both care and playful aggression helps people manage their strong emotions. Acting on the urge to pinch or squeeze can help balance those overwhelming feelings of cuteness.

Proof is in the doing

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 10 Jan 22
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  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 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.

What am I afraid of at work?

Sex and the State • 29 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Many feminist writings are often repetitive and less engaging. It's common to feel this way about similar genres, such as libertarian or academic writing.
  2. Examining your work through Attachment Theory can reveal deeper insights about your relationship to it. Personal reflection can help uncover self-deceiving thoughts.
  3. It's important to engage with other writers in your niche. This can improve your own work and provide new perspectives.

Leadership Lab #23 | Being in your Funk

The Leadership Lab • 78 implied HN points • 28 Feb 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  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.

The Race to the Swift

Unpopular Front • 88 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Conservatives are obsessing over Taylor Swift's relationship with a football player.
  2. Some on the American right are displaying strange fantasies and fears about the relationship.
  3. The obsession reveals underlying anxieties about masculinity and femininity in certain circles.

Notes from SeaLevel

Malt Liquidity • 12 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🎾 Sports Psychology
  1. Golf can feel pointless when you realize you're just going in circles. It sometimes seems like a fancy way to pass the time without real meaning.
  2. Keeping score in golf, and in life, can bring unnecessary pressure. Enjoying the experience is often better than worrying about the numbers.
  3. Many people get stuck in loops, doing the same things over and over without real growth. It’s important to find purpose and avoid letting these routines control us.

Introducing cogiatics (short)

Philosophy bear • 85 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Psychology
  1. Cogiatics is the study of how thoughts evolve within an individual, different from memetics.
  2. Factors like fascination, emotional valence, and usefulness determine the selection of thoughts.
  3. Studying how thoughts evolve is underdone due to lack of introspection and under-theorized natural selection.

Herding in Queues: Why we Can’t resist Long Lines for Bagels

Gad’s Newsletter • 32 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Psychology
  1. People often wait in long lines for things like bagels because they believe that if a lot of others are waiting, then the product must be really good. This is called social proof.
  2. Even though waiting can be frustrating, many customers think the experience is worth it. They might feel like they're part of something special when they join a long line.
  3. Humans tend to mimic what others want rather than deciding for themselves. This means our desires can be influenced by seeing others enjoy something, like delicious bagels, leading us to wait in line too.

A Case for Moderate IQ Skepticism

Tom Thought • 19 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Performance on cognitive tasks is correlated, so individuals who excel in one area tend to excel in others as well.
  2. IQ tests are useful in predicting various life outcomes, but it's important to recognize that they are not a direct measure of intelligence.
  3. It's crucial to be skeptical of assigning deep meaning to specific IQ scores, especially when comparing across different populations.

Guest Post: Love in the Age of TikTok

Reactionary Feminist • 13 implied HN points • 06 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Young conservatives are still affected by modern dating culture even when they criticize it. This shows that the influence of technology and social media reaches everyone, regardless of their beliefs.
  2. The way love is viewed today is often like a marketplace, where people assess each other like commodities. This shift can make real connections harder to form and diminish the value of love.
  3. Social media, especially short-form videos, changes how we interact and think. Constant scrolling can make it tough to focus or commit, which can harm deep, lasting relationships.

The Porous Mind

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Our minds might not be as closed off as we think; they could be more about connections and relationships. It's like we're all made up of many voices negotiating with each other in a big conversation.
  2. Healing could be less about becoming a single, perfect self and more about talking with the different parts of ourselves. Embracing these pieces can lead to better understanding and compassion.
  3. The idea of just one mind might be holding us back. Embracing multiple perspectives could help us tackle big issues we face, like ecological problems and personal struggles.

Does Psychological Science Need Science or Bullshit?

Unsafe Science • 97 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. The paper discusses the use of empty verbiage and fuzzy buzzwords in scientific writing.
  2. The author points out the importance of empirical evidence over references to support claims in psychological science.
  3. Assertions in research papers should be substantiated with empirical studies and avoid vague, unsupported claims.

Implicit measures in UX

UX Psychology • 99 implied HN points • 11 Oct 21
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. Self-report methods like questionnaires and interviews are commonly used in UX research, but they have limitations due to factors like social desirability bias and limited introspection.
  2. To fully understand user experience, it's important to consider unconscious motives like emotions and implicit attitudes, which can be measured using implicit techniques such as the Implicit Associate Test (IAT).
  3. Implicit measures, like the IAT, provide insights into unconscious processes influencing behavior, and can offer additional valuable information in UX research compared to traditional explicit measures like questionnaires.

Modeling Imperfection

Fish Food for Thought • 12 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
💼 Business Psychology
  1. Leaders should embrace vulnerability and admit they don’t have all the answers. This helps build trust and shows that they are also learning.
  2. When leaders are open about their mistakes, it creates a safe space for teams to share ideas and learn from failures. This encourages innovation and faster problem-solving.
  3. Creating a culture of psychological safety starts with leaders being honest and present. This openness allows teams to feel valued and promotes collaboration.

The Anti-American Psychological Association

Unsafe Science • 134 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Psychology
  1. The APA has shifted towards Critical Social Justice, moving away from traditional social justice principles.
  2. Critical Theory aims to dismantle western society through attacking societal components like education, media, and religion.
  3. Psychological practice should focus on individual dignity and value, rejecting radical political ideologies that deny universal humanity.