Social Life

When Brazil's President Lula said "I am a fan of Obama. He is the first US president who has our face." what did he mean? Was it a racially insensitive comment? Might it have different meanings to Brazilians and Americans?  Read More

There are literally dozens of ways of influencing people. Furthermore, these many means of manipulation are used on a more or less continuous basis by governments, religions, assorted advertisers and special interest groups. For example, being associated with a symbol is always a good ploy. That's why professional politicians always have one of those little American flags in their lapels. Read More

Appearance or Reality?

We still have voters who call themselves "Democrats" and "Republicans." Congress is still formally divided along party lines. But do these labels define a reality? Perhaps, once again, we are trapped by habits of thought - or by conventions that have become obsolete without our having grasped the change.

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When an important relationship ends, just grieve. Don't go looking for a rebound. You can't run away from your problems. Only time will heal.

I agree with that common advice whole-halfedly. I think it's absolutely half-true, and so would like to make the case for the other half. Read More

The claim that "marriage is so good" is often based on a widely-cited, but massively flawed book, The Case for Marriage. Much of that book, and the case it tries to make, does not meet the highest scientific standards. Not even close. Getting married does not offer great benefits (except for financial ones, largely a consequence of marital status discrimination), so the finding that many people do not want to marry poses no paradox.

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Once upon a time, a reporter for a major magazine declared, in all seriousness, that women should just get married already - even if it means settling for someone kind of repulsive. I wish I could say that it happened back in the Stone Age. In fact, though, the insolent story was published by Lori Gottlieb in the Atlantic magazine in 2008. Today, Gottlieb's regressive singlist, matrimaniacal essay, expanded to book length, appeared in print. Don't buy it - the book or the message.

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One of the recurring themes of this blog has been the basic human tendency to overlook the external forces that shape our lives. We prefer to think of the social universe as a predictable and orderly place. It's a reassuring notion in a world that otherwise can seem disconcertingly random. And it's also why we're so down on luck–why we don't cotton too well to the suggestion that chance dictates important outcomes in life. Read More

This is what it's come to: Rahm Emanuel, who works in the White House, called a planned attack ad by Democrats on Democrats "f--king retarded," and it's the second word people are offended by? Is anyone else confused by this? It's cool for a guy working in the White House to use the F-word, but the R-word is off limits? We've passed through the looking glass, folks. Read More

When Amanda Blain, now 29, graduated and moved from Toronto to Ottawa, Canada, she began working in a series of male-dominated technical IT careers. Although she considers herself outgoing, she found it difficult to find and make new friends with each new situation or life change. So three years ago, she decided to tackle the problem head-on---for herself and other women. Read More