Know What's Happening in Human Potential
Know What's Happening in Human Potential
Cognitive scientist offers three tactics to beat decision fatigue
Decision fatigue drains mental energy needed for high‑stakes choices as the day wears on. The expert recommends calibrating effort to a decision’s importance, postponing critical choices until refreshed, and using a “choose for a friend” mindset to lighten emotional load.
A new study published in *Psychology of Religion and Spirituality* surveyed 3,953 U.S. college students across private, public, and Christian campuses, revealing that perceived hypocrisy and LGBTQ intolerance are the top reasons for religious doubt. The research shows that doubt is linked to heightened emotional distress, especially among students deeply engaged in faith, while also correlating with greater intellectual humility and a quest‑oriented search for meaning. These findings highlight both the mental‑health risks and the potential for personal growth when young adults confront religious uncertainty. The study adds nuance to the broader decline in religious affiliation among emerging adults.
Jeff Bell, longtime OCD advocate and author, discusses how the strategies he honed treating OCD have helped him cope with a recent Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. In episode 528 of The OCD Stories, he explores the intersection of obsessive‑compulsive disorder, stoic...
Weekends are not an excuse to give up on your goals. And rest is absolutely necessary. But so is keeping the promises you made to yourself.
If you can't: • Sell, you'll always be poor • Create, you'll always be average • Get attention, you'll always be invisible Master these 3 and you will never have to worry about money again.
Buddy Wiggins, a 32‑year‑old Honolulu pool cleaner, hit rock bottom after a years‑long sports‑betting addiction. He launched the First Wave Project, offering free surf lessons to strangers on Waikiki Beach. The initiative has introduced roughly 100 novice surfers to the...
I learned AI at 70 with no technical background. If I can do it, you can do it. You just need the right room. The AI Business Lab Mastermind has a handful of spots left. https://t.co/B3ac1JrQNc
The 3 great scoreboards of your personal habits: • Your physical body • Your bank account • Your relationships Which is why there are no better vehicles for personal growth than getting in shape, building a business, and dating. These would be much better if...
Prolonged, high‑intensity stress shuts down the prefrontal cortex, limiting reasoning and empathy. This neurological regression spreads socially, creating a feedback loop of dysregulation that fuels conflict across families, workplaces, and nations. The article outlines how simple physiological tools—breathing, cold exposure,...
If your idea of relaxing is finishing everything first so you can “earn” your rest… hi. Recovering overachiever here too. Rest isn’t a reward for productivity. Download my free guide and let’s unlearn that together.
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s new book, *The Mattering Instinct*, expands a four‑decade philosophical inquiry into why humans crave to matter. Drawing on her earlier "matter‑map" concept, the work blends philosophy, psychology, and behavioral economics to explain the instinct for personal attention...
The post explains how the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves become self‑fulfilling identities, shaping perception and behavior. Negative self‑talk solidifies limiting beliefs, while deliberate contradictions can weaken those narratives. By recognizing and rewriting habitual statements, individuals can shift from a...
The more you chase approval, the further you run away from your true self. Embracing who you are, unapologetically. The right people will recognize your greatness.
Ken Robinson’s claim that schools stifle creativity sparks debate over how creativity is defined, measured, and taught. Psychological research distinguishes between novelty and usefulness, and frames creativity as a system involving individuals, domains, and fields. Studies show divergent‑thinking scores decline...
The article shares four hard‑earned lessons about letting go of past stories to improve present well‑being. It explains how clinging to personal narratives fuels ongoing pain, while recognizing their emptiness eases mental strain. Compassionate breathing and shifting focus to others...
The article argues that a man’s presence is a visible expression of self‑command, not mere personality. It highlights how posture, tone, composure, listening, and appearance shape others’ perception of reliability. In an era of casualness, intentional behavior distinguishes individuals. Five...
Many people expect closure from others—an apology, explanation, or conversation—yet life rarely provides neat endings. The article explains that the mind craves complete narratives, causing endless replay until acceptance replaces the need for answers. True closure is a personal decision...
Recent research shows that top performers—entrepreneurs, athletes, writers, and scientists—attribute their sustained success to structured habits rather than fleeting motivation or sheer willpower. By automating routine actions, habits eliminate the need for constant decision‑making, creating invisible systems that keep progress...
The article explains how purpose evolves from a loud, achievement‑focused drive in early career stages to a quieter, personally aligned motivation later in life. Initially, purpose is tied to proving oneself, gaining recognition, and rapid growth. Over time, experiences such...
In the first installment of the "Staying Human" series, the author examines why heightened awareness of global crises often leads to personal paralysis rather than action. Drawing on learned helplessness and self‑efficacy research, the piece argues that digital environments fragment...
Knitting is emerging as a low‑cost, portable intervention that helps people curb addictive behaviours, from nail‑biting to cigarette smoking and even street‑drug dependence. Preliminary studies and anecdotal evidence show that the rhythmic, bilateral motions of knitting can calm the nervous...
James Madison, despite his shy demeanor, became the dominant voice at the 1787 Constitutional Convention by mastering preparation. He immersed himself in extensive reading of ancient and modern republics and then distilled his insights into private essays. This disciplined blend...
A 2017 PLOS ONE study found that performance in the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games League of Legends and DOTA 2 strongly correlates with traditional IQ test scores. Researchers observed that players’ strategic abilities improve with age, while proficiency in...
The post challenges readers who constantly take bold risks yet berate themselves when outcomes fall short. It highlights how external opinions can amplify self‑criticism, turning normal setbacks into personal shame. By questioning this pattern, the author urges a shift toward...
Stoic thinker Donald J. Robertson warns against impulsively chasing pleasures, urging a deliberate pause before acting on desire. He advises weighing the fleeting joy against future regret and recognizing the personal victory in restraint. The commentary highlights this as a...
The episode explores the modern anxiety of living under the weight of our own potential, using the simple act of choosing between two olive oils as a metaphor for the constant self‑judgment we face. It argues that the "best self"...
Research published in *Personality and Individual Differences* finds that openness to experience, emotional stability, and introversion are linked to higher crystallized intelligence, measured through general‑knowledge tests. In a sample of 201 UK university students, those scoring higher on these traits...
Recent studies show a reversal of the historic Flynn Effect, with average IQ scores slipping in the United States, United Kingdom and several Nordic countries. Researchers attribute the decline to factors such as digital media consumption, AI‑driven cognitive offloading, and...
Researchers led by Vialet, in partnership with Radio France, have used anatomical data to recreate the likely sounds of early hominins, tracing language’s roots from 27 million‑year‑old primate vocalisations to modern Homo sapiens. The timeline highlights key milestones: vowel‑producing capacities in...
Alysa Liu’s comeback is a great example of psychology’s overjustification hypothesis. When something you love becomes dominated by external pressure, rewards, and expectations, you lose your autonomy, and it loses its joy. So she retired. That’s why when she decided to come...
The best ideas I’ve ever had came when I was deeply, embarrassingly unproductive. Not in a “romanticizing laziness” way. In a “my brain needed to be bored to actually create something” way. The hustle content is lying to us and...
In a recent talk in Charlotte, the author highlighted the often‑overlooked power of professional presence, arguing that how one shows up matters more than credentials. A joint Harvard‑Carnegie‑Stanford study found that 85% of professional success derives from soft skills such...
I know this may be common sense, but common sense isn’t always common practice… You don’t build confidence by avoiding hard things. You build it by completing them. So finish what you start. The next storm won’t feel so scary. 🙏
In this episode, Frank Schaefer talks with former Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen about her new Substack column "Scratch," which explores how making things—sewing, baking, farming, art—reinforces our humanity in an age dominated by algorithms and late‑stage capitalism. Cohen reflects...
The article explores how deliberately questioning one’s own doubts can paradoxically boost confidence. By turning self‑skepticism into a reflective tool, readers learn to engage more deeply with personal goals. The technique leverages cognitive reappraisal to transform uncertainty into motivation, offering...
Overthinking, though mentally passive, can exhaust the brain as much as physical exertion. The Washington Post article highlights psychologist Ethan Kross’s view that inner dialogue is a useful tool when directed, but unchecked rumination leads to stress and reduced productivity....
The article argues that lasting progress comes from tiny, consistent actions rather than occasional grand gestures. It highlights the Stoic principle of focusing on what we can control and letting the rest unfold. Using a one‑degree navigation analogy, it shows...
Negative emotions are not evidence that something is broken in you. They are part of being alive. And the goal is not to eliminate them, but to manage them so they do not manage you.
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky argues that comfort traps individuals, especially fathers, in mediocrity. He outlines four reasons—laziness, risk avoidance, over‑reliance on others, and a lowered performance ceiling—that illustrate how staying comfortable harms health, relationships, and personal growth. By embracing...
My Ins and Outs as I sail towards 40. And yes, I genuinely think these are life-changing habits. But every annoying Internet person says that. Up to you to agree, I guess
Performance coaching is presented as a systematic approach to building mental strength, emphasizing that resilience can be cultivated like physical fitness. Coaches use techniques such as visualization, SMART goal setting, and mindfulness to enhance confidence, focus, and emotional regulation. The...
A single, 90‑minute online session designed for adolescents dramatically improved their ability to tolerate uncertainty, according to a recent study. The program combined mindfulness exercises, cognitive‑reframing techniques, and interactive scenarios that simulated ambiguous situations. Participants reported lower anxiety scores and...
Amira’s March journal guide offers 31 prompts—one for each day—to help readers pause, reflect, and steer personal growth during the season’s subtle shift. The questions probe identity, habits, boundaries, and emotional maturity, encouraging honest self‑inquiry rather than rapid transformation. By...
The blog argues that losing one’s gut intuition is the primary cause of personal and professional failure. It explains how growing responsibilities and algorithmic certainty dull this internal compass, leading to indecision and misaligned choices. The author introduces the book...
The author recounts being invited to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 107‑day tour and the surge of imposter syndrome that followed. The piece reframes imposter syndrome as a mix of disbelief, awe, and feeling unprepared rather than pure self‑doubt. It outlines...
Speakers often avoid humor because they fear a single joke bombing, which they think could ruin future bookings. The article argues that this fear is misplaced, noting that audience expectations for business presentations are far lower than for stand‑up comedy....
In this episode of "Let's Have the Conversation," host Desiree B. Stevens explores the concept of "staying"—maintaining presence and regulation within community work and difficult dialogues. She outlines three core practices: staying in your body to avoid dissociation, staying without...
Every time I start something new, I follow a simple framework. It's called The Third Rep Rule. Give it a try if you always quit something new:
Rania Gebagi’s March 2026 blog post explores how a disciplined writing practice reshapes cognition and personal reality. She argues that transcribing thoughts onto paper forces clarity, turning abstract ideas into concrete plans. The piece outlines specific techniques—daily journaling, bullet‑point mapping,...
The author argues that a midlife crisis is less a comedic trope and more an awakening—a deliberate self‑examination that grants agency after decades of following a childhood‑set trajectory. By framing life in three acts—childhood, young adulthood, and midlife—the piece suggests...
Shane interrupts your ability to care for yourself. Because it reinforces the idea that there's something wrong with you. Then, instead of diet or self-help advice benefitting you, it keeps you thinking that you're a problem to fix. If you truly want...
