The Top 50 Posts of 2011

From the ever-expanding Googleverse to the snarky payoff of celebrity gossip, life is splintered and refracted in a million ways by contemporary communication tools. This media has a profound impact on how we perceive ourselves and our world.

Human beings are social animals, and the tenor of our social life is one of the most important influences on our mental health.

At least for humans, this most basic act is anything but simple. As the pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey put it, the only universal in human sexuality is variability itself. Within the universe of intimacy and pleasure that sex affords, however, there's a lot of room for error. From the behavior itself to our orientations, sex never fails to be a provacative topic.

Love is the most profound emotion known to human beings. For most people, romantic relationships are the most meaningful element in their lives. But the ability to have a healthy, loving relationship is not innate. Almost all of us have experienced a failed relationship, and most of us have to work consciously to master the skills necessary to make them flourish.

Most of us have things about ourselves we wish we could improve. Lasting change is difficult—many of our habits are deeply ingrained, and certain aspects of ourselves, such as core personality attributes, may be immutable. But many more things can be changed.

Parenting can be the most stressful—and rewarding—job of your life. We can all think of ways we'd do things differently from our parents, and no doubt your kids will find ways they'll parent differently from you.