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Wednesday, 27 December 2023 04:36

Happiness expert: There are 3 types of friendships—here’s why you need them all

An 85-year Harvard study discovered that the most important thing that brings us happiness in life is positive relationships, and your friendships are a huge component. Maintaining long-term friendships that are stable is one of the seven practices of people who live to be happy and healthy, the study found. Yet, each of our friendships can look different, and it turns out that your friendships shouldn’t all look the same. The renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle narrowed down three types of friendships that we all have. And Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor who teaches a course about how to manage happiness,…

Tuesday, 26 December 2023 04:41

Psychology experts share 7 ways highly successful liars get you to believe them

As psychologists and professors of psychology, we’ve always been interested in how liars mislead others. So while researching for our book, “Big Liars: What Psychological Science Tells Us About Lying and How You Can Avoid Being Duped,” we gave more than 200 participants who identified as habitual liars the following prompt: “When people lie, they often use strategies to conceal their deception and make themselves appear truthful to others. Describe the strategies that you use when you are lying to others.” Here are the most common ways liars said they lie: 1. They make eye contact The group said that…

Monday, 25 December 2023 04:46

Following Fatimah’s sandals: What the journey of a pair of shoes reveals about capitalism

In a remote village in Borneo, Fatimah wonders what shoes to wear to her cousin’s wedding. For as long as she can remember, buying footwear meant an hour-long, wooden boat ride to a market. That changed a few years ago, when mobile phones arrived. Now, almost every day, she scrolls through Shopee, a shopping app. It connects her—and the 130m Indonesians who use it every month—with merchants thousands of kilometres away, and causes packages to appear, as if by magic, at her door. Of course, it is not magic. Behind the luminous icon on Fatimah’s phone is a vast network…

Thursday, 21 December 2023 04:32

11 things you’re doing in public that people secretly judge you for

We’ve all had those moments when we wonder if we’re doing something that’s secretly annoying to others. Ever thought about the habits you might have that people judge you for? In this article, I’ve got a list of 11 things that might be causing hidden eye rolls. So, let’s dig into these common public faux pas. 1. Loud Phone Conversations We get it, your call could be important. But when you’re in a public space like a bus or a café, no one around you really wants to hear about your weekend plans or what you’re having for dinner. Having…

Monday, 18 December 2023 04:36

How emotionally intelligent people use the 10-10-10 rule to stop being impulsive and make smarter, better decisions

There are plenty of frameworks you can use to make better decisions. Jeff Bezos uses the two-way door rule to identify reversible decisions and embrace a bias towards action. Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher used the one-question rule to add clarity the decision-making process. Science can also help you make better decisions. You can leverage your circadian rhythm. You can use the power of experience-based intuition. You can even sleep on a decision (as long as you get a good night's sleep.) Problem is, most frameworks won't necessarily help you make good decisions when your willpower reserves run low. When…

Sunday, 17 December 2023 04:44

Under the shadow of war in Gaza, Jesus' traditional birthplace is gearing up for a subdued Christmas

Bethlehem is gearing up for a subdued Christmas, without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square, after officials in Jesus’ traditional birthplace decided to forgo celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war. The cancellation of Christmas festivities, which typically draw thousands of visitors, is a severe blow to the town’s tourism-dependent economy. But joyous revelry is untenable at a time of immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, said Mayor Hana Haniyeh. “The economy is crashing,” Haniyeh told The Associated Press on Friday. “But if we compare it with what’s happening to our people and Gaza, it’s nothing.”…

Saturday, 16 December 2023 04:41

The No. 1 way to respond when your in-laws are rude to you, says etiquette expert

There are many environments where it would benefit you to check any people-pleasing tendencies at the door: work, romantic relationships, even friendships. Holidays at your in-laws’ house is not one of them, says Sara Jane Ho, a Harvard-trained etiquette expert. Ho is the founder of the finishing school Institute Sarita, host of the Netflix show “Mind Your Manners,” and author of an upcoming book, also called “Mind Your Manners.” If an in-law lobs a passive aggressive comment or a more direct insult your way, “just agree and play along,” she says. “Be very smiley.” Let your partner take care of…

Friday, 15 December 2023 04:41

I stopped looking at my phone every time I was waiting for something – this is what I learnt

Emma Beddington It’s hard not to feel personally attacked by some research (does that make me a raging narcissist? Probably). With crisps and now sitting downrecently ruled empirically bad, it seems science is coming for everything I hold dear. Now, my one true love is being targeted: staring at my phone. A new study, discussed in the excellent Techno Sapiens newsletter, explored how using your phone to avoid stranger awkwardness makes you feel “worse than if you didn’t”. For the research, 395 strangers were split into groups and asked to wait together for a (pretend) test. Half had phones, half…

Thursday, 14 December 2023 04:43

African countries stand firm on fossil fuels

The African Group of Negotiators is calling for an outcome that allows Africa to exploit its fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas to eradicate poverty while also funding renewable energy projects. This comes amid demands to end fossil fuels from climate change activists and other leaders around the world. Even the Global Stocktake text, a fundamental component of the Paris Agreement of 2015 used to monitor its implementation and evaluate the collective progress, released on Monday was heavily criticised for not containing a clear language on the phasing out of fossil fuels. Speaking at a press conference on the…

Sunday, 10 December 2023 04:19

What pigs and squirrels can teach us about managing pain

Over the past several decades, there have been many supporting studies of the health-promoting effects of an optimistic personality. Much research has been done on the connection between a high level of optimism and good health, described well in clinical psychologists Burel R. Goodin and Hailey W. Bulls' 2014 research paper, appropriately titled, “Optimism and the Experience of Pain: Benefits of Seeing the Glass as Half Full.” The authors state that optimism “is linked to both enhanced physiological recovery and psychosocial adjustment to coronary artery bypass surgery, bone marrow transplant, postpartum depression, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, lung cancer, breast…

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Saturday, 09 December 2023 04:40

‘You can’t pay me enough to do it": Older adults are revealing things they no longer have the patience or energy for

As we get older, it makes sense that our tolerance for certain things will change, so we asked the BuzzFeed Community, "What are you simply getting too old for?" And people had a lot of thoughts on the matter. Here's what they had to say: 1. "Theme parks. I've loved theme parks since I was a kid, especially roller coasters — the higher, faster, crazier, the better! I used to have no issues waiting in line for my favorite ride or going on a ride multiple times. Now, however, the combo of the crowds, the heat, the ridiculously long lines,…

Friday, 08 December 2023 04:25

3 things Taylor Swift just said as 'Person of the Year' that every leader should learn

On Wednesday, Time Magazine named Taylor Swift its Person of the Year, because, well, of course, she was. It's hard to think of anyone having a better year--or anyone who played a bigger role in influencing culture than Swift did this year. There's the record-setting tour, the re-releasing of her most popular album ever--the new version of which set its own records--the concert movie, and the new boyfriend. That last one, to be clear, is less about her romantic life and more about Swift's complete dominance in terms of cultural influence. Her mere presence at NFL games, where she watches…

Sunday, 03 December 2023 04:40

If you want to be truly respected in life, say goodbye to these 8 behaviors

We all crave respect. It’s a universal desire, isn’t it? But how often do we feel truly respected in our day-to-day lives? You put in the effort, act kindly, work hard, and what do you get in return? Sometimes, it feels like nothing. It can seem like the respect you so desire is always out of reach, like you’re always trying to catch up with it. If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. Many of us feel this way. We feel as though our actions aren’t valued or respected. But here’s the kicker… maybe it’s not about others not…

Saturday, 02 December 2023 04:55

3 things people with high emotional intelligence do that make them better at small talk than most

Emotional quotient, or EQ, is the ability to perceive, manage, control or communicate emotions. People with a high EQ often enjoy better interactions not only with friends and family, but strangers, as well, says Matt Abrahams, a Stanford University lecturer in organizational behavior. Abrahams specializes in interpersonal communication. "A lot of small talk is about empathy and being able to connect with the other person, and people with high EQ are able to do that better," he says. Here are three things people with a high EQ do that make them better at small talk. 1. They validate the other…

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