The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

The Slop School of Internet Success and other lies about cyberspace

Experimental History • 19425 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Making a living on the internet doesn't have to involve creating 'slop' content like clickbait or scams.
  2. Success online can come from creating honest, original, and interesting content that people genuinely enjoy and share.
  3. Supporting creators financially for content you enjoy can help create a better internet ecosystem and encourage more quality content.

(Recent) Life-Changing Purchases, Schedule Changes, Philosophical Shifts, and Habits....Small and Large and Medium-Sized

Culture Study • 2257 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Life changes can come from everyday habits, unexpected events, or purchases that genuinely help improve your life. It's not just about big changes; small things can matter too.
  2. Purchases often don’t deliver the life-changing results we hope for, and instead, shifts in routine or habits can be what really makes a difference.
  3. It's important to maintain a respectful and supportive environment when discussing personal changes, focusing on positive growth and experiences.

Take The 2025 ACX Survey

Astral Codex Ten • 7157 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. There's a reader survey available that helps understand who reads the blog and explore psychological findings. It's like a fun way to learn more about people's interests.
  2. Taking the survey will take around 20 to 30 minutes, and participants have a chance to win a free one-year subscription. It's a nice incentive to get more people involved.
  3. The survey closes on January 5, so it's important to fill it out before then to make your voice heard.

Your brain is a washing machine, AGI's job prospects, Americans are alone, the Earth passes "peak child"

The Intrinsic Perspective • 5983 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Our brains clean themselves while we sleep, which is super important for our health. If we use strong sleep aids, like Ambien, it might mess with this cleaning process.
  2. The world is seeing fewer children being born, which means we might be reaching a point where there are not as many kids in the future. This can affect society in various ways.
  3. There's a common fear that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could take away all jobs. However, it's likely that human jobs will still have value even as technology improves.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

The New Oracles: QAnon, AI and Divination

The Bigger Picture • 718 implied HN points • 31 May 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. The QAnon movement, despite failed predictions, remains a significant force with millions believing in its prophecies.
  2. Movements like Reichsbürger share an interest in divination, with some using occult practices like astrology and fortune-telling.
  3. Artificial intelligence, through generative AI models, is becoming a modern oracle on the internet, mediating between us and the virtual world.

No One Tells You What It Costs to Climb Upward

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 2272 implied HN points • 20 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Upward mobility can be tough and comes with hidden costs. People often don’t talk about the emotional and social challenges that come when you try to improve your circumstances.
  2. Childhood experiences, especially trauma, can have lasting effects on how people navigate adult life. Understanding this can help foster more empathy for those in difficult situations.
  3. Educational and social systems can sometimes create barriers rather than opportunities. Many talented individuals struggle due to circumstances beyond their control, and success often requires not just ability, but support and mentorship.

Your December Questions, Answered (1 of 2)

Singal-Minded • 227 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Most of the time when we think we’re right it’s more luck than careful, independent reasoning. We know so little and rely on experts, so humility is the sensible stance.
  2. Studies suggest many kids with childhood-onset gender dysphoria who didn’t socially or medically transition later accept their sex, but that research doesn’t automatically apply to adolescents who come out later. Adolescent-onset appears to be a new and poorly studied presentation, especially in the U.S., so long-term outcomes are uncertain.
  3. Some activists and clinicians have made strong causal claims (for example, that kids will die without immediate treatment) that aren’t well supported and can be harmful or self-fulfilling. Because of this uncertainty, caution and better research are needed before making broad medical or policy decisions.

Lead pipes are dangerous? Make 'em mandatory

Experimental History • 7173 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Lead pipes can poison people, and they have been used for thousands of years despite the dangers. People often realize this every few decades and push for laws to require lead pipes.
  2. Prominent figures like Ronald Reagan sought astrological advice from advisers like Nancy Reagan's astrologer, showing how beliefs in astrology influenced important decisions.
  3. There's a trend of creating similar movies at the same time, known as 'twin films,' where studios release films with similar themes or ideas around the same time, sometimes by coincidence or for profit.

Psychology’s Biggest Misses—Honorable Mentions

Living Fossils • 2 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Many famous effects in psychology, like social priming and strong birth-order personality claims, don’t replicate well and are often statistical flukes or very weak.
  2. Boosting self-esteem doesn’t reliably cause better achievement; usually success and competence lead to higher self-esteem instead.
  3. Popular explanations like “emotional intelligence” or simple chemical‑imbalance models of mental illness are vague or unsupported, with poor measurement and limited predictive power, so we still don’t really know the causes of most mental disorders.

Culture Links, 12/23/2025

In My Tribe • 273 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Broad claims about whole generations are overblown. On many issues the differences between age groups are small and mixed.
  2. Nostalgia makes the past look better than it was because people forget bad parts and cling to early memories. People often idealize the time before puberty when life felt simpler.
  3. Behavior often changes because a person's situation or social network changes, not because they've learned something permanent. To sustain change you need to alter environments and influencers, not just teach lessons.

The Dark Side of Desire

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 3087 implied HN points • 18 May 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Women can sometimes be attracted to 'bad boys' or violent men due to evolutionary instincts. It's thought that women may view these traits as indicators of strength, which could help protect their own offspring.
  2. Similarities in education, political beliefs, and values are key factors in choosing romantic partners. People generally gravitate towards those who share common backgrounds and life goals.
  3. Improving physical health and social skills can boost attractiveness. Taking care of yourself in terms of grooming and fitness, along with building social connections, can make a big difference in dating.

Vignette: the borderline mother and son

Disaffected Newsletter • 919 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. A borderline mother can deeply affect her son, creating a toxic environment filled with shame and fear. It's hard to watch because it feels so real and painful.
  2. The relationship can become a cycle of manipulation and emotional abuse, where the mother enjoys causing distress. It’s like a dark game that leads to outbursts of rage.
  3. Children raised in this environment often feel like nothing truly belongs to them, as their mother disregards their feelings and possessions. This can lead to lasting emotional scars.

The Weird Reactions To The Sydney Sweeney Ad Are a Smokescreen For Widespread Romantic Desperation

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1818 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Many people are struggling to find good romantic partners. This lack of options can lead to feelings of desperation.
  2. When people feel desperate, it can cause strange and sometimes cruel behaviors online.
  3. Issues like cheating and stalking often come from this same problem of not having enough desirable partners.

The Cyranoid Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1749 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. The concept of 'cyranoids' shows how people can be influenced by scripts or ideas fed to them, which can lead to surprising connections, as seen in Milgram's experiments.
  2. With technology, people like Roy Lee use AI to create 'digital cyranoids,' which help give perfect responses during interviews or conversations, raising questions about authenticity.
  3. As AI becomes a common tool in communication, distinguishing between genuine and AI-assisted interactions will become crucial and could change how we perceive honesty in conversations.

Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales: a new online program at Pacifica Graduate Institute

The Art of Enchantment, with Dr Sharon Blackie • 1797 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education Psychology
  1. The program at Pacifica Graduate Institute offers an eight-month training in personal narrative work, suitable for clinicians/therapists and individuals interested in deepening their personal work with fairy tales and storytelling.
  2. Participants will explore fairy tales as a reflection of the collective unconscious, use fairy tales to rewrite self-narratives, and learn practices for personal growth and therapeutic applications.
  3. The course structure includes monthly recorded lectures, live Zoom discussions, resource lists, and creative prompts, aiming for an interactive and engaging learning experience.

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

Granted • 4452 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology
  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.

From 'Neurons to Nations': How Nationalism Feels So Real

Brain Pizza • 463 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Nationalism is a deep psychological attachment to one’s nation that feels real and powerful, not just an abstract idea in history or politics books.
  2. National identity is framed as a neurocognitive project—brain processes shape how people perceive borders, belong, and experience nationhood.
  3. Studying nationalism with neuroscience and psychology helps explain why national feelings are vivid, emotional, and motivating in everyday life.

Tony Soprano and the Jungian Death Mother

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 2462 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Tony Soprano is a complex character who shows both deep flaws and a desire for change, but his life as a mafia boss makes real transformation difficult.
  2. The show portrays struggles with familial relationships, particularly the damaging influence of Tony's mother, which shapes his behavior and emotions significantly.
  3. Unlike other antiheroes in TV shows, Tony's actions often reveal a deeper horror, as he inflicts pain on loved ones not just for survival, but from a deep-seated need to manage his feelings of inadequacy.

Perils of Flawed Meta-Analytic Methodology

The Shores of Academia • 39 implied HN points • 03 Oct 24
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Flawed meta-analysis can mix different studies that aren't similar, making it hard to draw clear conclusions about their effects on things like mental health.
  2. It’s important for researchers to look at specific impacts and not just assume that a random-effects model explains everything. Understanding the differences in outcomes can lead to better insights.
  3. Proper analysis in studies is really important, especially when people's health is at risk. Ignoring negative findings can mislead people about the safety of products like drugs.

Peer Review of Microaggression Scholarship is an Unmitigated Disaster

Unsafe Science • 79 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Many microaggression studies rely on correlational, nonexperimental data but still claim causal relationships between racism, microaggressions, and outcomes.
  2. Concluding that microaggressions cause negative health or mental-health impacts from simple correlations is not justified without stronger causal evidence.
  3. Peer review has often failed to catch these methodological flaws, allowing unsupported causal claims to persist in the literature.

How to De-Addict Gen Z from Porn

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1521 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Many young men today struggle with porn addiction, which affects their relationships and self-esteem. It's common for boys to encounter porn at a very young age, leading to harmful effects on their views about intimacy and real-life connections.
  2. An app called Quittr was created to help Gen Z men quit porn and improve their lives. The app encourages users to focus on personal growth, like hitting the gym and building character.
  3. The widespread access to porn can make facing real-life relationships feel daunting. This can turn seeking love or connection into a scary experience, while porn provides a quick, risk-free outlet.

What You See Depends on What You Want

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1420 implied HN points • 10 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Personality helps us navigate the complex world around us. Different personalities can change how we see and experience life.
  2. Understanding your personality can improve your relationships with others. It also helps you know yourself better.
  3. If you don't grasp your motivations and personality, others might exploit them. It's important to be aware of your own traits.

Sexual Politics, Slot Machines, Poor Man’s Son

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 1590 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Many famous dictators, like Stalin and Hitler, had troubled relationships with their fathers but were close to their mothers. This shows how family dynamics can affect a person's view of authority.
  2. Adam Smith's story of a poor man's son highlights that achieving wealth doesn't always lead to happiness. Even though he becomes successful, he still feels unfulfilled, which raises questions about the true nature of success.
  3. People who often feel grateful are usually more open, conscientious, and extroverted. They also tend to be less anxious, which suggests gratitude can lead to positive personality traits.

The Christmas Tree Effect

Range Widely • 3184 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Sometimes, to solve problems, we should consider taking things away rather than adding more.
  2. Interesting distractions can increase accidents on roads by affecting a driver's cognitive load.
  3. Humans tend to overlook solutions that involve removing things, and the subtraction game can be a helpful approach in various aspects of life.

Social Media Shortens Your Life. Here’s How to Get Time Back.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1344 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Social media can waste a lot of your time without you even noticing. You might log in just to check something and suddenly realize you've spent half an hour scrolling.
  2. Time feels different depending on what you're doing. When you're more aware or focused on something, it seems to take longer, but with social media, you often lose track of time.
  3. Being aware of how social media affects your sense of time can help you manage it better. It's important to keep track of how long you're using these apps to take back your time.

Statistical Methods Links,12/07/2025

In My Tribe • 288 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Certain personality traits like being assertive and energetic can lead to higher earnings, while traits like being anxious or preferring routine work are linked to lower earnings.
  2. A small correlation in data, such as between social media use and depression, can significantly impact outcomes, but it's important to analyze data correctly and not rely solely on models.
  3. Current fertility rates among older Millennials appear similar to older generations, but the context matters; using outdated comparisons can be misleading, and true trends show a decline in fertility.

Sweet Child O' Mine

Secretum Secretorum • 378 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Domestication changes animals in ways that seem unrelated at first, like making dogs friendlier and changing their ears. This happens because evolution tinkers with what it already has rather than starting from scratch.
  2. Humans show traits similar to young animals, like being playful and social. This neoteny means we've kept some child-like features as adults, which helped us bond and learn better.
  3. Humans succeeded while Neanderthals didn't because we were better at sharing ideas and learning from each other. Our culture helped us become smarter, not just as individuals, but as a group.

The True Self is the Person You Want Others to Believe You Are

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4053 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Your true self is often linked to how you want others to see you. When you live up to that image, you feel more authentic.
  2. People might feel less authentic when they act in ways that go against their desired reputation. They often say things like 'that's not who I am' when they're ashamed.
  3. The idea of the 'true self' isn't a concrete thing; it's more of an ideal we aim for. We feel more like ourselves when our actions align with that ideal.

‘Eddington’ Remembers When We All Lost Our Minds

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1377 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. People reacted strongly during the pandemic, often leading to conflicts over issues like mask-wearing. Even in places with mild restrictions, tensions were high between different groups.
  2. In different parts of the country, the reactions to the pandemic varied greatly, with some expressing extreme views and others feeling frustrated by the response. It shows how divided opinions can lead to chaotic situations.
  3. The events of the past five years highlighted how quickly people can lose their composure and how societal pressures can bring out intense emotions. The cultural responses were different across regions, reflecting broader political divides.

Let's Talk About ChatGPT-Induced Spiritual Psychosis

Default Wisdom • 1754 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Psychology
  1. AI can make people think in strange ways, kind of like how new tech has always shaken up our beliefs. This isn't just about today; it's happened throughout history.
  2. Past technologies, like radio and TV, have changed how we see the world and ourselves, leading to feelings of isolation but also opening up new ways to connect with others.
  3. The internet and social media have made us more focused on ourselves, sometimes making people think they can shape reality with their thoughts, which could be risky when using AI.

No, intelligence is not like height

The Infinitesimal • 62 HN points • 26 Aug 24
🔬 Science Psychology
  1. Intelligence is not predicted by genetics in the same way height is. Studies show genetics only account for a small part of IQ scores compared to height.
  2. IQ is more influenced by environmental factors and cultural background. This means the way we measure intelligence might be impacted by things like access to education.
  3. The meaning of IQ and what it actually measures is still not clear. Unlike height, which is easy to measure, intelligence testing doesn’t have a simple or consistent method of measurement.

affinity

bookbear express • 1122 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. People often find it hard to determine what they truly like about something. It's easy to focus on the fun parts but miss the bigger picture.
  2. Having a genuine connection or affinity for someone isn't about liking every detail; it's about feeling drawn to them on a deeper level.
  3. It's important to trust your instincts when pursuing interests and relationships. Sometimes you just know what resonates with you, even if you can't explain it.

Soul Initiation: Finding your Unique Niche

What's Important? • 27 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Psychology
  1. Mature human development includes a Soul Initiation, a passage out of cultural adolescence to discover the unique ecological niche or gift you are meant to offer the living world.
  2. The Journey of Soul Initiation often requires a difficult ‘Descent to Soul’ and a pivotal Soul Encounter accessed through nature-based, mythopoetic practices like vision fasts and dreamwork that let the world mirror symbolic guidance to you.
  3. The process is risky but necessary — it can lead to deep fulfillment, extended transition, or failure — so people need to be held by supportive communities and practical delivery systems (jobs, networks, digital cocoons) to embody and share their soul-purpose.

The Relation Between Cohabitation and Divorce

David Friedman’s Substack • 260 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Cohabitation before marriage is linked to higher divorce rates even though it might seem like a way to test compatibility; both who chooses to cohabit (selection) and what cohabitation does to relationships (experience) appear to matter.
  2. Sex and pair-bonding can create strong emotional ties and people tend to heavily prefer present comforts, so living together can make partners settle for someone they might not choose for a lifelong marriage and reduce continued partner search.
  3. Other plausible reasons include pregnancy-driven marriages, carrying cohabitation habits into marriage (inertia), and burnout from longer total time together, and cohort data show the cohabitation–divorce link weakens but still exists after controlling for demographics.

How To Choose Your Nemesis

The Ruffian • 288 implied HN points • 06 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Personal, repeated, and evenly matched rivalries raise motivation and often boost performance and creativity.
  2. Rivalry can also be destructive: it can encourage unethical behavior, waste resources, and make lower‑skilled or status‑anxious people perform worse.
  3. The healthiest rivalries are non‑zero‑sum “nemeses” where each competitor has strengths the other admires and learns from, and confidence lets the contest push both to improve.

Facing the truth, and what comes after

Disaffected Newsletter • 1159 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology
  1. Sometimes, we realize things about people we never noticed before. This can lead to uncomfortable truths about our relationships.
  2. People often look up to celebrities who remind them of their own life struggles, using them as symbols of their hopes or fears.
  3. Movies like _Mildred Pierce_ explore complex family dynamics and the pain of becoming like someone we fear or dislike.