The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

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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.

Start here

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 4992 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
📚 Literature Storytelling Mythology Psychology Folklore
  1. Dr. Sharon Blackie focuses on reimagining women's stories, myths, and fairy tales, emphasizing the importance of these traditions in addressing modern cultural and environmental issues.
  2. The concept of enchantment, as defined by Dr. Sharon Blackie, involves a profound connection to the world, a sense of wonder, and engagement with creativity and nature, promoting a slow and ethical way of living.
  3. Dr. Sharon Blackie offers different engagement levels through free subscriptions, paid subscriptions with exclusive content on myth, fairy tales, and psychology, and an exclusive membership called The Hearth for deeper exploration and support.

A dreaming workbook and audio journey

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 2156 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Psychology Mythology Spiritual Practices
  1. Dreams have been historically valued for wisdom and deep significance by humans.
  2. Dream interpretation was a central aspect of Carl Jung's therapeutic approach, revealing hidden messages from the unconscious.
  3. Personal experiences with vivid dreams can lead to profound insights and transformations in one's 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
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The Goldilocks zone between inbreeding and outbreeding

ideassleepfuriously • 884 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🔬 Science Genetics Evolution Psychology Fertility
  1. The risk of producing abnormal embryos is highest in siblings, lower in first cousins, and lowest in third or fourth cousins.
  2. Inbreeding can lead to shared defective alleles and recessive disorders, causing inbreeding depression.
  3. Outbreeding can lead to genetic incompatibilities and higher rates of miscarriage, causing outbreeding depression.

Carl Jung’s Gnostic Revival, Abraxas, and the 20th Century Cult of Mithra (part 5)

Matt Ehret's Insights • 727 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Psychology Religion Cosmology Metaphysics
  1. Carl Jung saw himself as a Dionysian messiah and initiate of Mithra seeking to create a new religious order.
  2. Jung preferred Mithraism over Christianity for its nature worship and viewed Christianity as antagonistic towards the beauty of the world.
  3. Jung's involvement in promoting gnostic texts and psychedelics, as well as his influence on establishing a new spiritualism, reflects his desire to overthrow Christianity and establish a new gnostic religious order.

Introducing: Cynthia Chung's 'Carl Jung and the Land of the Dead'

Matt Ehret's Insights • 746 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Occult Beliefs Religion Psychology
  1. Cynthia Chung and Matthew Ehret have been researching the occult underground, connecting it to topics like geopolitics and psychology.
  2. Cynthia Chung has written essays on Carl Jung, emphasizing his ties to pagan sorcery and counter-culture movements.
  3. Jung's ideas influenced 20th-century counter-culture, the Esalen Institute, MK Ultra, and the development of a new world religion.

Get Serious: About Purpose

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 5383 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Personal Development Psychology Society Human behavior Values
  1. Purpose is declining in society, with traditional values like faith, family, and community involvement losing importance.
  2. True purpose involves a deep belief in something greater than oneself, motivating action and giving a reason to build.
  3. Focusing solely on self-care and self-love may not bring fulfillment; finding a purpose outside oneself is key to combatting modern malaise.

Transcript: Katherine Brodsky

Lean Out with Tara Henley • 432 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Books Psychology History Social Issues Personal experiences
  1. Guest Katherine Brodsky shares insights on speaking out against orthodoxies in the age of outrage.
  2. Brodsky's personal experience of being mobbed online led her to write her book, 'No Apologies'.
  3. Growing up in a household that talked about self-silencing under communism shaped Brodsky's perspective on censorship and free speech.

The Wood From Eden book recommendations page

Wood From Eden • 432 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
📚 Literature Anthropology History Psychology Philosophy
  1. It's valuable to explore book recommendations even if you can't read them all from cover to cover.
  2. Readers can share book and film recommendations on specific categories on the Wood From Eden book recommendations page.
  3. The principle behind the recommendations page is to create a space for like-minded readers to share and discover new, interesting books and films.

"Unbundling" experiences

Civic Renaissance with Alexandra Hudson • 432 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Self-Improvement Society Psychology Ethics Personal Stories
  1. Our experiences and those of others may not always represent the whole picture, so it's important to avoid generalizations.
  2. Unbundling experiences can help us avoid negative assumptions about the world and others based on limited encounters.
  3. Choosing stories of exoneration over condemnation can empower us to see the dignity in others despite their mistakes.

What Makes Men and Women Different?

Uncharted Territories • 2162 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🔬 Science Evolution Gender Physiology Psychology Sexuality
  1. Women and men think differently due to biological differences like having a uterus, leading to significant psychological variations.
  2. Men and women face different stakes in relationships and reproduction, with women having higher commitments and limitations due to their reproductive capacity.
  3. Evolutionary factors have shaped men to compete for access to females, leading to traits like dominance, aggression, physical strength, and risk-taking behavior.

Why People Are Irrational About Politics

Fake Noûs • 226 implied HN points • 24 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Psychology Politics
  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.

Why you’re not an impostor and you don’t need a best friend

Granted • 4452 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology Relationships
  1. Friendship is about mutuality, not exclusivity. You don't have to rank friends or rely on one person for everything.
  2. Cultural differences impact communication styles. Americans being perceived as fake and the Dutch as rude is explored in a behavioral science article.
  3. Impostor syndrome is contradictory. When others believe in you but you doubt yourself, it might be time to trust their judgment over your own.

Women Are Crazy, Science Finally Admits

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 159 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Gender Studies Humor
  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.

Staring At The Tsunami

¡Do Not Panic! • 1788 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
🔬 Science Psychology Optimism Risk Assessment
  1. Unrealistic optimism can lead to underestimating personal risk and overestimating favorable outcomes.
  2. Our brains may fail to update perceptions when faced with immediate, observable realities, leading to a freeze response.
  3. Depression and neurodiversity may result in a more accurate assessment of risk, providing survival advantages.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Cognitive Bias or Statistical Artefact?

UX Psychology • 218 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🔬 Science Cognitive Bias Psychology Statistics User Experience Awareness
  1. The Dunning-Kruger effect explains how people with lower ability often overestimate their competence, while highly skilled individuals tend to underestimate their capabilities.
  2. The disconnect between competence and metacompetence judgments is seen not only in psychology but also in areas like aviation, memory, and medical skills. It can impact product development and UX teams by highlighting the challenge of relying on feedback from less competent individuals.
  3. Debate continues on whether the Dunning-Kruger effect is purely a statistical artefact or a psychological phenomenon. Regardless, it prompts the need for critical self-awareness, peer review, and continuous growth to mitigate its impact in fields like UX.

The origins of power dynamics, or why chimps can't play baseball

The Garden of Forking Paths • 2122 implied HN points • 05 Jul 23
🔬 Science Evolution Biology Psychology Anthropology Human behavior
  1. Humans can throw objects accurately and at high speeds, shaping our modern power dynamics in society.
  2. Our unique shoulder adaptations allow for precise and fast throwing, giving us a competitive advantage over other species.
  3. The ability to use ranged weapons and throw projectiles from a distance has influenced human social structures and power dynamics.

mathiness instills confidence

bad cattitude • 165 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🔬 Science Mathematics Psychology Cognitive Science Research Climate Science
  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.

Of Course DEI Programming Should Be Seen As Psychological Interventions And Held To The Appropriate Standards

Singal-Minded • 1728 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Diversity Psychology Standards Workplace Interventions
  1. Workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are facing challenges and skepticism.
  2. DEI interventions should be seen as psychological interventions and held to appropriate standards to ensure they do not cause harm.
  3. There is a lack of formal and rigorous evaluation of DEI programs, which hinders the ability to determine their effectiveness.

Interracial Dating Paper FAQ

sebjenseb • 196 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research Genetics Data Analysis Psychology Relationships
  1. Assortative mating occurs between races, with individuals who date outside their race being more similar to each other in terms of intelligence, height, and risk-taking behaviors.
  2. Current literature suggests that interracial relationships may have a higher likelihood of ending or experiencing domestic violence issues, and mixed-race children might be more prone to mental/behavioral problems, possibly due to self-selection rather than social factors.
  3. Attractiveness was a weak predictor of interracial dating across all races, indicating that mate value or race exchanges based on mate value were not significant factors in interracial dating.