Psychology Today

"That is a myth," usually means "That is not true." But can myths reveal truths about the mind? And did you know that the stories you tell about yourself can be useful myth-making?

It may seem absurd that we have rules of fair play that regulate the way we conduct wars. The ethological concept of ritualized aggression may help to explain the Law of War.

Psychologists say behavior results from the interaction of biology and environment, yet argue about their relative importance. Read why the importance of biology is always 100%.

New technologies allow to complete tasks much more quickly, potentially providing us with enormous amounts of free time. So why do we fill that time with more work instead of play?

Authorities have controlled psychological testing for decades. While this regulation might reduce harm, it also stifles creativity and progress. The IPIP is an antidote.

Wayne Dyer's career as one of the most successful self-help authors and motivational speakers of all time came to an end last month at age 75, when he died of heart failure. Despite his success and accolades from millions, he has been accused of propagating New Age drivel. In this post I examine Dyer's life and discuss his contributions.

Eric Dietrich posted "It is not that there are no gods or goddesses, but rather that there are no [true] religions." I agree, but not just because no religion is true. I go a step further. Because each individual's religious experience is unique, there are as many versions of a religion as there are members. Ultimately, there are no Christians, Buddhists, etc.

In August of 2013, Sam Harris issued a challenge to refute the central thesis of his book, The Moral Landscape. This thesis is that "questions of morality and values must have right and wrong answers that fall within the purview of science." This is part 2 of a 3-part post explaining why I agree with everything in his book except the central thesis.

Most of us have been taught from an early age that placing our own needs before the needs of others is wrong. Such behavior is discouraged with the disparaging label, "selfish." At the same time, self-help experts tell us that "self-care" is essential to our well-being. So, how do we tell the difference between "bad" selfishness and healthy self-care?

It seems obvious to may lay persons and professional psychologists that people are likely to misrepresent themselves on personality tests, especially when being evaluated. After some 50 years of research, strong evidence for this alleged problem is lacking. Nonetheless, belief in response sets and styles continues, just like children's belief in the bogeyman.

On my first day of retirement from academia, I reflect on the importance of social connections to my educational and career success. Hopefully, the illustrations I describe from my own career history will demonstrate the importance of social connections to career success, not just in psychology, but in any career.

Proponents and opponents of the concept of sex addiction claim to have data supporting their views. My examination of the data and arguments have led me to hypothesize that participants in the debate have allowed their personal preconceptions to color their interpretations of the data.

People usually think of seva (selfless service) as helping the unfortunate: feeding the hungry, nursing the sick, educating the illiterate, and so forth. As such, seva would seem to be the special province of those resembling the Holland Social personality type who are naturally inclined toward these activities. This post explains how the other Holland types can do seva.

Throughout my entire educational and professional career, I have assumed that insights from the science of evolutionary psychology can increase the quality of life. In this post I ask myself honestly whether my personal life has benefited from possessing knowledge of evolutionary insights, and I invite readers to ask themselves the same question.