The hottest Psychology Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

If You Didn't Comply During COVID You're a Psychopath

Break Free with Karen Hunt • 1454 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Mental health Medication Influence History
  1. Psychologists can label non-compliance during COVID as psychopathy, justifying 'fixing' individuals as they see fit.
  2. The power dynamics post-COVID have allowed for the manipulation and control of citizens, using psychology as a weapon.
  3. Psychiatry and psychology have a history of coercion, drugging, and inhumane treatments towards those deemed non-compliant or ill.

The Luddite Kids saying NO to Smartphones

Break Free with Karen Hunt • 1415 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🎭️ Culture Youth Tech Media Wellness Psychology
  1. Young people are starting to reject smartphones and social media for improved mental health and real-life connections.
  2. The increasing use of technology has led to a mental health crisis among students, with many struggling to attend school.
  3. Children are influenced by social media influencers and marketing to buy things, alter their appearance, and follow trends, leading to dissatisfaction and body dysphoria.

Willpower is for losers

Metabolic Repair • 59 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Fitness Nutrition Behavioral Health Emotional Health
  1. Relying on willpower for long-term goals is usually a path to failure. Instead of forcing yourself to do things, find ways to make them enjoyable.
  2. Willpower is like a car's brake; using it constantly slows you down and can lead to burnout. It's more effective to work with your emotions rather than against them.
  3. To succeed, create systems that reduce internal resistance and make tasks feel easier. This way, you can achieve your goals without relying heavily on willpower.

The Revolution will not be Personalised: OpenAI's Sora, Apple Vision Pro and The End of Democracy

The Bigger Picture • 619 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Augmented reality Politics Psychology Personalization
  1. AI and augmented reality technologies like OpenAI's Sora and Apple Vision Pro are shaping a future of highly personalized experiences tailored to individual desires.
  2. The rise of personalization in society, from technology to politics, reflects a deep-rooted belief in tailoring the world to meet one's own preferences for happiness and fulfillment.
  3. As we navigate a landscape of increasing personalization, it's crucial to question the impact on subjectivity, societal norms, and our relationship with the world around us.
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Psychology Findings You Can Bank On

Unsafe Science • 54 implied HN points • 24 Dec 24
🔬 Science Psychology Research Social Sciences Empirical Studies Cognitive Science
  1. Psychological research has produced valuable insights that can enhance our understanding of human behavior. It's important to pay attention to these findings.
  2. Some claims made in the social sciences are questionable and need to be critically evaluated. Not everything that is published is reliable.
  3. There's ongoing debate about the quality of psychological studies, so it's good to be skeptical and look for well-supported evidence.

~75% of Psychology Claims are False

Unsafe Science • 161 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🔬 Science Psychology Research Methods Replication Crisis Censorship
  1. A lot of psychology studies are not reliable, with about 75% of their claims likely being false. So, it's best to be skeptical of what you read in this field.
  2. Many published psychology findings are difficult to reproduce. This means that even though a study shows something, there's a good chance it might not be true when tried again.
  3. Censorship and ignoring opposing evidence can lead to more misinformation in psychology. Some studies get more attention even when their findings are wrong or contested.

Why We Pray: Israel, Gaza and Complexity Tolerance

The Bigger Picture • 1238 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Prayer Psychology Sociology Emotions Complexity
  1. Prayer can help us navigate complex and uncertain times, offering a blend of personal and social connection, and providing a unique space for agency and emotional processing.
  2. Expanding our 'complexity tolerance' is essential in a world filled with overwhelming information; by building emotional resilience and cognitive flexibility, we can better handle and make sense of complexity.
  3. Prayer is not about escape, but a way to engage truth and beauty even in the face of horror, providing a connection to deeper truths and a return to inner sanctuaries of tranquility and vulnerability.

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.

Discussion with Steve Stewart-Williams on evolutionary psychology

Optimally Irrational • 63 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🚌 Education Psychology Evolution Behavior Research Cognition
  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.

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.

Open Thread 313

Astral Codex Ten • 2202 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research Genetics Psychology Fiction Education
  1. Genes matter 2x as much as the environment in schizophrenia, not 4x as previously thought
  2. A study on political reasoning errors failed to replicate, questioning a larger literature on the topic
  3. Humans merging with AI may not be unprecedented, as evidenced by a medieval Italian man merging with a knife

Blockers to Innovation

Fish Food for Thought • 9 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
💼 Business Innovation Management Psychology Product Development Marketing
  1. Fear of failure can hold back innovation. If teams worry too much about making mistakes, they might stick to safe ideas and miss out on new opportunities.
  2. Organizations often focus too much on short-term goals, which can stifle creativity. When companies prioritize immediate profits, they may overlook projects that need more time to develop.
  3. Encouraging rapid iteration and creating a safe space for experimentation can boost innovation. When people feel secure to try and fail, they can learn and create better solutions.

Mistress of the Dream Realm

Soaring Twenties • 123 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Dreams Psychology Interpretation Art Humor
  1. Dreams can provide insights about our lives, but sometimes they don't make any sense. It's fun to explore and think about what they might mean.
  2. You can learn a lot from your dreams by writing them down or talking about them. Being aware of our dreams helps us understand our thoughts and feelings better.
  3. Using dream interpretation as a business might attract negative energy, so it's better to share insights for free. Trusting your dreams can lead to valuable realizations about yourself.

Morning reductionism, mental health edition

Disaffected Newsletter • 1438 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Psychology Trauma Wellness Self-help
  1. Being a reductionist means finding common patterns across different issues. It can help make sense of complex topics, especially in mental health.
  2. The way we label mental health issues can sometimes complicate things unnecessarily. Many diagnoses might just be different expressions of the same underlying problem.
  3. Understanding mental health as linked to root causes, like trauma, might be more helpful than viewing each disorder as separate. It's important to look at the bigger picture.

Schedule a meeting with Rob Henderson

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 416 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Human nature Life Advice Personal Growth Communication
  1. You can book one-on-one video calls with Rob Henderson for discussions on various topics. It's a chance for readers to connect directly and share thoughts.
  2. The meetings are available for a limited time, so it's good to schedule them soon if you're interested. You can pick a date that fits your schedule.
  3. Conversations can cover his writings, psychology, and life advice, but should not be considered as professional therapy.

Nathalie Martinek on Depression

Disaffected Newsletter • 579 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Wellness Self-care Psychology Personal Growth
  1. Nathalie Martinek provides fresh insights on depression that go beyond what's usually discussed. It's important to read different perspectives to understand it better.
  2. Sharing personal experiences can help others feel less alone in their struggles with depression. It shows that it's okay to be open about tough times.
  3. Reading about others' journeys through depression can offer comfort and guidance for those going through similar challenges. It might even help you find new ways to cope.

Disaffected: Episode 149, December 9, 2023

Disaffected Newsletter • 819 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🎙 Podcasts Media Culture Politics Society Psychology
  1. The left has changed a lot recently. It now shows a strong intolerance for disagreement and often reacts with extreme accusations like 'abuse' when faced with differing opinions.
  2. Many people react negatively when you simply ask questions today. Even innocent inquiries can provoke harsh backlash, making open discussions very difficult.
  3. There seems to be a mix of genuine emotional struggle and exaggerated behavior among some individuals. Instead of viewing it as just one or the other, it's important to understand that both real trauma and attention-seeking behavior can coexist.

Good At Sex: Seduction Via Narrative Reinforcement (pt 7)

Knowingless • 1188 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Sexual Health Relationships Psychology Self-Improvement
  1. Seduction is seen as a collaborative activity where both parties want the same thing - to overcome barriers and enjoy sex together.
  2. People often seek to reinforce narratives about themselves, so being able to sell the right self-image to someone can be a powerful tool in seduction.
  3. Understanding and appealing to a person's core desires and self-conception can be more effective in seduction than just focusing on physical attractiveness or immediate desires.

If I Can’t Dance to It, It’s Not My Revolution

Deep Fix • 943 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Politics Psychology Activism Podcasts History
  1. Be mindful of the news media consumption as it can lead to addictive and negative thinking patterns.
  2. Progressive politics can sometimes push individuals into a victim identity, causing feelings of depression and shame.
  3. Consider moving away from psychology-centered discourse and towards more inspiring, poetic, and collective movements in progressive politics.

A Confession and an Announcement

rebelwisdom • 1277 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychedelics Spirituality Science Psychology Research
  1. The book discusses a personal experience with a powerful psychedelic drug and its impact on the individual and collective wisdom.
  2. The book reflects on the integration of psychedelic science and spirituality in understanding and navigating the challenges of the present time.
  3. The author aims to prompt inquiry and critical thinking around the potential of psychedelics in transforming society and addressing current crises.

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.

Interesting reads, March 2024 edition

Brain Pizza • 794 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Essays Fiction Fantasy Psychology Book Reviews
  1. Maximising happiness is not the only goal in life, different societies value different aspects of well-being.
  2. Current thinking on happiness is evolving to include the concept of psychological richness as a facet of a fulfilling life.
  3. Exploring the idea of benign masochism reveals that some activities initially seen as unpleasant can bring joy and pleasure.