The Big Questions

Life, death and free will.

by Nathan Heflick

Atheists, Death and Belief in God

Deep down do atheists believe more in God when reminded of their own death? Read More

Are We as Objective as We Think?

Is anyone as unbiased as they think they are? Do we have a "bias blind spot?" Read More

Did You Know It All Along?

Self-criticism is heightened by the tendency for people to exaggerate the extent to which they knew something would happen all along. Read More

The Surprising Truth About Our Senses

Even our most basic senses are not immune to the powerful influence of motivations and desires. Read More

Smiling with Envy: Delighting in the Downfall of Others

When do the misfortunes of others make us feel good? Recent fMRI research tested this question. Read More

Freedom Fighters?

When do people accept restrictions to freedom? Read More

Person or Object? The Case of Homelessness

A company recently planned to use homeless people as Wi-Fi hot spots. In a sense, this is turning these people into objects. Research using fMRI technology suggests that people perceive homeless people much in the same way they perceive tables and objects. Read More

Juvenile Sex Offenders and Homosexuality

If a person performs a sexual act with a minor, does it matter if the act was homosexual or heterosexual in people's willingness to punish the person? Read More

Five Causes of Belief in God

What are the real causes of belief in the supernatural? Read More

Children and the Quest for Immortality

Why do people want children? What can explain this most pervasive of human drives? Read More

Some Like it Casual

What is the effect of not having a father present on women's willingness to have sex without emotional investment? Read More

Exercise Is Brain Lubricant

Exercise strengthens the efficiency of our brain's neurons. And neurons are the origin of everything that makes us human—our emotions, our thoughts, our bodily movements and actions. Read More

The Devil Made Me (Not) Do It!

Would you be more likely to rape, steal, murder or cheat if you did not believe in Hell? Recent research assessed the correlation between belief in Heaven and Hell and anti-social behavior. Read More

Want to Escape Blame? Be a Victim!

Say you do something good. Then, you do something immoral. Are you going to get less blamed because you did that "good" thing? Read More

Death Drives Creativity

Are we creative because we fear death? Read More

When You Care, It Tastes sooo Good

Is the path to tasty paved with good intentions? Read More

Happy Elephants and Miserable Donkeys

Is your happiness related to your political ideas? If so, why? Read More

Lesbian Parents

Lesbians do not raise normal children. Read More

How Can Suicide Be Prevented?

Gary Speed had it all, and he killed himself last night. It is time to stop the stigma attached to mental illness. Read More

The Spotlight Effect

Do as many people notice the things we do or what we look like as we tend to think? Is that stain on your shirt really noticed by THAT many people? Read More

Does Time Heal Regret?

Regret can eat us alive. But what type of regret is the most damaging, and do regrets fade with time? Read More

Sexual Regret and Jealousy

When do we regret sex? When does it make us jealous? The answer depends largely on whether you are male or female. Read More

Children Learn Aggression from Parents

What causes children to be aggressive? Can parents teach their kids to be peaceful? Read More

Ouch, that Hurts!

Your toe gets stepped on. Do you feel the same pain, whether or not a person meant to do it? Read More

Who Cheats on Their Partner?

The attachment style of your partner reliably predicts cheating behavior. Read More

Why "Why" Matters!

Do you want good, or do you want to avoid bad? Research indicates that this has a unique impact on your mood! Read More

Enemies Enhance the Meaning of Life

Why do we have enemies? Research suggests that it serves a deep psychological need. Read More

Steve Jobs: On Using Death to Live

Steve Jobs' approach to death fueled his remarkable life, and it can do the same for you and me. Read More

Leave Your Shock at the Door

Humans harm each other, constantly. Should we really be shocked then when people mistreat us? Read More

Truth, Damn Truth, and Statistics

The problem isn't the statistics, but rather, people's inability to understand statistics. Read More

Nathan Heflick completed his Ph.D. in social psychology at The University of South Florida.

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About The Big Questions

Tolstoy once wrote that there is no source of meaning and purpose that death cannot undo and destroy. This is the basic issue behind most of my research and most of this blog: How do people find meaning, purpose and value, while remaining aware that they, and everything they value, could ultimately be destroyed at any moment? This focus perhaps sounds negative, but I believe it also can be freeing and exhilirating. As many scholars have written, if we truly remain aware we will die, then we can invest our time and efforts more wisely, and ultimately be happier as a result.