Curious?

Discovering and creating a life that matters.

by Todd B. Kashdan, Ph.D.

Is Parenthood Linked to Greater Joy and Meaning or Misery? Science Speaks

The media has been telling us otherwise. Science has been telling us otherwise, until now. Three yet-to-be-published studies reveal that being a parent leads to greater joy than misery. There are also intriguing differences between moms and dads. Read More

What Will Make Your Kid Succeed in Kindergarten?

The secret to amazing teachers and successful 6-year-olds, pulled from scientific research that has yet to even hit the library shelves. Read More

My 2011 List of Books to Help People Become Interesting, Intelligent, and Sexy

Having successfully avoided every year-end recap on television, print, and online, I am required to be a hypocrite and hand you my own. This is not a list of the best books published in 2011, this is my own personal list of books that will transform you into a better companion at the bading pools of your local Korean spa. Read More

Why Do Men Have a Hard Time Making Friends?

Nearly every society in the world has built in advantages for men. Whether money, power, or the freedom to jog at night without fear, men enjoy greater opportunities. With these opportunities come ambition. And for many men who are successful by society's standards, there is a cost that is simply not talked about: loneliness. Read More

How Much Television is Too Much? Science Weighs in

Parenting is hard. There is no instruction manual. Television is killing our kids, right? Learn what science has to say. Read More

What Happens When We're Rejected and Ostracized by Strangers?

Don't underestimate the power of ostracism to render someone invisible and meaningless. The science is both astounding and bizarre. Read More

3 ways to be insanely creative by dissecting the world's greatest, maverick scientist

There is a maverick thinker and scientist that never gets his due. By combing through his life and accomplishments, I will share 3 lessons about how to be a more creative person. Want to know who the maverick is? Want to know how to create good, innovative ideas? Read on... Read More

3 Ideas to Prevent Schools from Killing Creativity, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking

What we value the most is what our schools address the least. Our current school system kills creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. What can we do? Here are 3 ideas. Read More

Confronting Death with an Open, Mindful Attitude

Only a few items separate human beings from animals. One of them is that all of us know that we are going to die. Death is an inescapable fact of life. Brand new research suggests that cultivating mindfulness and curiosity can help us manage death, dying, and the existential suffering that comes with it. Read More

My 2010 List of 10 Emotionally Intense, Must-Read Books

Allow me to deviate from the prototypical list of best books in 2010. As someone who studies emotions, let me give you my favorite readings from this year for evoking particular mental states. Decide what emotion you want to feel and choose your weapon from the arsenal provided. Read More

Gratitude, Death, Resilience, and Thanksgiving

A personal odyssey of mixed emotions on Thanksgiving. Gratitude, sadness, serenity, loneliness, love, and a few shades between. Open, emotional expression as a portal to personal growth. Read More

What Is the Best Marker of Physical Well-Being?

A decade ago, my wife worked as a research assistant for a researcher studying obesity. The research team met once per week to brainstorm ideas. They were planning a study to test the urban myth that the average college student puts on 15 pounds of grizzle during their first year away from home [insert image of a 15-pound dumbbell stapled to the hip of a teenager]. Read More

Clues to When CEOs and Politicans Are Lying to You

Fresh off the scientific presses are three clues about when somebody is lying to you. When is a CEO lying to you? When is a politician lying to you? There are three types of word use that increase the probablity you are about to be deceived. Read this or risk being a victim. Read More

The Problem with Happiness

The United States is obsessed with happiness (same goes for a number of other countries in the world). There are cultural pressures to be happy. But has anyone considered what this pressure to be happy does to people? Read on for the science that shows the folly of organizing your life around trying to be happy. Read More

Don't Be Fooled by Scientists, Data, Statistics, and Sexy Women

Somebody, perhaps Mark Twain, said "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." Read a brief primer on how scientists can fool you with their data, statistics, and sexual images. The focus is on a recent blog pointing out that supposedly, the size of a woman's breasts tell us the likelihood that a man will stop to pick them up. I will walk you through some blatant misinterpretations. Read More

Why Are We Afraid of Having Regrets?

Regret is common. Whether we acknowledge these feelings to others is a separate issue. Yesterday, after a series of mental gymnastics by Obama on whether a mosque should be built in New York City near Ground Zero he responded to a curious public, "The answer is no, I have no regrets." I will tell you why this scares me. I will tell you why I am always scared when people tell me they have no regrets.

Learn five separate scientific discoveries about regret. Read this post and send it to everyone in your life who says they don't regret anything.

As a psychologist, the most interesting questions about religion have nothing to do about whether or not God exists. Instead, I am interested in the benefits, costs, and struggles of people grappling with the confusion and randomness of the human condition. Why do some people turn to religion while others do not? What function does religion serve? What happens when religious convictions are challenged? How well integrated is a person's religion in their everyday life?

What would it take to leave antiquated superstitions behind? Read More

Does Money Influence Happiness? Depends on How You Spend Your Cash

Does money buy happiness or unhappiness? The answer cannot be told in a ridiculous 30-second soundbite. If you want to delve into the complexity of this issue, read on. Science has a great story to tell. Looking forward to the debate... Read More

Imagine a Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing Where Senators Show Strengths & Cojones

Who has not been amazed that over the past 20 years, Supreme Court nominees can essentially evade questions about any value or belief they hold? Senators can be uninformed, mindless slaves to their party or the breeze of public opinion without any recourse. Is it possible to modify how confirmation hearings are conducted? Read on for ideas on what's wrong, what we need, and ideas for improving how we decide who gets promoted to the highest court in the land... Read More

What Republicans, Democrats, and Everyone Else Need to Know About Morality

We think that our morals arrive from deep, deliberate, rational thought. We think it is primarily due to our religion and our parents. Science has discovered that there is much more to the story. And it is a damn interesting story... Read More

We Need Psychologists in Government and the White House Inner Circle

A plea to bring scientists into government. A plea for psychologists to be part of the White House cabinet. An argument for why people who are trained pseudo-quasi experts in human mental functioning and behavior are the quintessential people to help government operate effectively. Please pass this on to anyone and everyone you know. I have lofty aims for this blog post. I want to make some serious changes to how we select leaders of the most powerful country in the world. Read More

Science Shows You Can Die of Boredom, Literally

The more bored you are, the more likely you are to die prematurely. The science is in. If survival is important to you, if seeing your grandchildren is important to you, don't miss this blog post. Read More

Can Two Tylenol a Day Keep Rejection and Heartbreak Away?

If emotional pain is processed in the same way as physical pain, then perhaps the same strategies to diminish physical pain might be equally effective when we feel excluded, rejected, or ostracized. Think analgesic drugs. Think Tylenol and Excedrin (with the active ingredient called acetaminophen). A few researchers tested this wacky idea.... Read More

State of the Union, Haiti, Prison Rape, and More

In the next few days, expect a heap of news articles and talking heads blathering about the State of the Union. What's fascinating is how so many people interpret the same event differently (each through his or her own prism of values and beliefs). It's one of the benefits of living in a democracy. Some people never really listened to the State of the Union. Read More

A Secret to Happiness? Discovering the Pleasures of Uncertainty

Being on a national radio show is often a painful experience. Sometimes you simply lack chemistry with the host (and unlike a party there is no alcohol, and nowhere to hide). They take long, deep breaths directly into the microphone, allowing you intimate knowledge of the saliva in their throat. Read More