The Mysteries of Love

Insights into the psychology of love

Berit Brogaard D.M.Sci., Ph.D

The Introvert Advantage During Lockdown

Extraverts normally have an edge when it comes to succeeding in school or on the job. But in a time of social isolation, introverts may have the upper hand.

Coronavirus Pandemic Puts Morality to the Test

A crisis can force moral decisions that betray what kind of people we really are, whether inclined think primarily of ourselves or to make selfless sacrifices.

Are Some Women More Prone to Misogyny Than Others?

Women who belong to multiple socially oppressed groups are particularly prone to misogynistic attacks. They are multiply burdened, discredited twice, thrice, or more.

A Friend Will Help You Move, but a Good Friend Will Help You Move a Body

Should you take the moral high ground when doing so is not in your friend’s best interest?

What Lies Beneath the Veneer of Narcissism?

The grandiose and vulnerable subtypes of narcissism have presented a puzzle for psychologists. Now researchers have discovered a common structure underlying them.

The 3 Most Subtle but Insidious Kinds of Passive Aggression

We are unusually adept at detecting passive aggression unconsciously. But it takes more careful attention to consciously spot it.

Sadomasochism's Ethical Predicament

Sadomasochism often involves one person degrading, humiliating, or hurting a submissive other for their own sexual gratification. How can we make moral sense of this picture?

How Partners Use Emotional Abuse to Exert Control

Abusers live for the pleasure they take in asserting power over a victim.

12 Ways to Spot a Female Misogynist

Men tend to take the lead in far-reaching misogynistic movements. But very many women are misogynists too. Here is how to spot them.

Why Contemptuous People Have Fragile Self-Esteem

The contemptuous person looks down on others yet has a fragile self-esteem. The vulnerable dark triad of personality explains why.

Vulnerable Vs Grandiose Narcissism: Which Is More Harmful?

The vulnerable narcissist is far more susceptible to feeling hurt by external feedback than the grandiose narcissist, and is therefore far more prone to be hateful toward others.

Domestic Violence and the Paradox of Power-Over

Why does the desire to have complete power over another person so often culminate in murder?

Origin of Evil

Hannah Arendt conjectured that anyone would have acted like the Nazis if thrown into the same situation. She called it the banality of evil. But is it true that we are all evil?

Shut Up and Smile! Misogyny and the Feminine Ideal.

Misogynistic hatred for nonconforming women is anchored in the historical ideal of femininity, an ideal that still prevails in society today.

This Is Why I Haven’t Replied to Your Email

Work email has become too time-consuming. The inbox gets fuller and fuller. This leads to guilt, email-phobia, and full-blown email-induced panic attacks. Can we un-invent email?

The Use of Fiction in Dysfunctional Relationships

What allows us to take pleasure in horror movies and ancient Greek tragedies can be repurposed as a glue that can temporarily tie together the pieces of a broken relationship.

What Is a Contemptuous Personality?

Although contempt often surfaces as an emotion, it can also be a personality trait of people who tend to look down on others.

I May Hate You More, But I'll Never Love You Less

The greater our vulnerability in a relationship, the more likely we are to feel hate toward the person we love. But is it coherent to hate and love a person at the same time?

What Distinguishes Healthy from Unhealthy Forms of Love?

How we bond with caregivers during early childhood affects how we behave in relationships, how in touch we are with our emotions and how much we will allow ourselves to love others

Can You Be Fat and Healthy?

You don't need to be skinny to be healthy. Learn how to turn your white flab into active, youth-promoting beige fat.

The Limits of Forgiveness

Only in rare cases is forgiveness justifiable when you don't know whether the other person regrets what she did and perhaps might behave the same way in the future.

The Paradox of Forgiveness

When is it right to forgive a person for harm she has inflicted on you? Is she required to change her ways to deserve forgiveness?

You Consented. Now, Relax. It's Play Time!

Is it wrong to use another person as a means to sexual pleasure?

Moral Sex: It’s Not All About Consent

But if you lie about something merely in order to prevent the other person from saying "no" to sex, and you proceed to have sex with them, then this is sexual misconduct.

Why Agreement to Sex Is Not Consent

Agreeing to sex is not the same as consenting to sex. Consent requires having certain pieces of relevant information about the potential sexual encounter and then agreeing.

What’s the Purpose of Hate?

Hate can motivate us to stand up for ourselves and those whose lives were taken. Surprisingly, hate can also be what ultimately heals us.

It’s a Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Intense love can seem so everlasting that it’s almost surreal when we realize how quickly it can turn into hate.

Why We Love Our Partners More Than Anyone Else

If you hang onto memories of the "good old times" and ignore the red flags rippling right in front of you, you risk staying in a toxic relationship for much too long.

Rape by Deception

Deceiving another person in order to have sex with them is morally wrong when it prevents the other person from giving fully informed consent to the act.

The Workplace Bully and The Office Sociopath

Individuals who are competent, successful, cooperative and unlikely to confront the bully, or take action when bullied, are particularly susceptible to workplace bullying.

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