Psychology
A specific version of loneliness can arrive after retirement
My dad retired three years ago. He'd been at the same company for thirty-one years.
Psychology
People who are warm on the surface but have no close friends may not be lonely…
There's a particular kind of person you've probably met. They're warm. Genuinely warm.
Psychology
People who still write things down on paper instead of their phone may not be…
There's a very particular kind of person I keep noticing. They've got a notebook on the desk, or in the bag.
Human Behaviour
The kindest people are often the loneliest in a room, and it may not be a paradox
Think about the kindest person you know. The one who always shows up, always listens, always has something to give.
Human Behaviour
The people who quietly hold onto their self-respect may not be the ones with strong…
Most people spend years reading books about boundaries. They highlight passages, share quotes on Instagram, and practice saying no in front of the bathroom mirror.
Human Behaviour
Few people prepare you for the moment you realize some of your oldest friendships…
Nobody prepares you for that moment. Nobody tells you it's coming, or that it's normal, or what to do with it once it arrives.
Psychology
One overlooked sign of high intelligence may not be curiosity or vocabulary
We mistake the wrong things for intelligence. We point to the kid with the big vocabulary.
Human Behaviour
People who start preferring to be alone in their 40s and 50s may not be pulling…
There's a version of the midlife solitude story that culture tells loudly. It goes like this: you start preferring your own company, you cancel plans with less…
Psychology
People who get along with many people but have no close relationships may not be…
How many people in your life would you say really know you? Not the people who like you.
Human Behaviour
Some of the loudest, most confident people in any room may have quietly confused…
There is a kind of person most of us have sat across from in a meeting, at a dinner table, or in the middle of an argument who speaks with a confidence so total that it shuts the room down.
Psychology
People who love to criticize but are easily offended may not simply be thin-skinned
There's a particular type of person we've all encountered. They've got a sharp opinion on everyone.
Psychology
One underestimated source of adult unhappiness may not be job stress or money
The mask doesn't come off when you log off. It just gets harder to remember your own face underneath.
Psychology
People who do not make a big deal out of their birthday may not be simple to read
I'll admit something. For most of my twenties, I told anyone who asked that I didn't really care about my birthday.
Human Behaviour
Why names are easy to forget: working-memory load and weak semantic hooks can both…
I used to apologize for this constantly. Someone would introduce themselves and within thirty seconds their name was simply gone, dissolved into the general texture of the exchange like it had never arrived.
Psychology
People who keep their phone on silent have quietly decided their mental state…
When was the last time you actually heard your phone ring? If you're like a growing number of people, it's been a while.
Space & Missions
Why hasn't the universe produced more civilizations? The answer might be that Earth…
I've argued before that we will probably find alien life in the next 50 years. I still think the case for that is strong.