People judge you based on 2 criteria when they first meet you
People size you up in seconds, but what exactly are they evaluating? Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions alongside fellow psychologists Susan Fiske and Peter Glick for more than 15 years, and has discovered patterns in these interactions. In her new book, "Presence," Cuddy says that people quickly answer two questions when they first meet you: Can...
What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight?
Eat less, move more, and you may lose weight—though probably not for long. If you’re hoping to drop a few pounds for an upcoming vacation, the old “calories in, calories out” method can be effective. Combine a meager diet with lots of exercise, and in the short term your body will plunder its fat stores in search of energy. You’ll lose weight—maybe even a lot of weight, depending on how much you...
Does Paracetamol reduce empathy?
Researchers from The Ohio State University have found evidence that acetaminophen not only dulls physical pain, it also reduces our ability to predict pain in others and empathize. If the results are to be believed, this common drug might hamper our ability to imagine each other's discomfort. Used to relieve pain and fever, acetaminophen - known as paracetamol in the United Kingdom - is present...
5 Ways to Boost Your Mood When You Are Feeling Down
We all have moments when we feel blue. But what causes us to feel sad? How can we overcome it and feel happy? Here are 5 surprising ways to boost your mood... 1. Know your dopamine Excitement about life is caused by the brain chemical, dopamine. When your dopamine dips, you notice a slump. It helps to know the slump is normal and natural, because dopamine is not meant to surge all the time. It...
What Causes Narcissism?
Dealing with narcissists is no easy task. They are by definition arrogant, entitled, exploitative, self-absorbed, and forceful. At the same time, they are also charming, persuasive, and attractive — making it difficult to navigate past their treacherous webs. But how do narcissists get that way in the first place? In trying to explain the development of this rather uncharitable trait, current...
How to Make Peace With Something You Cannot Control
Being in control feels safe, you can feel safe when you’re not in control too. The world is unpredictable and your power is limited, so feeling safe without control is a valuable skill. When the world disappoints your expectations, your brain releases cortisol and it feels like an emergency. You can re-wire your brain to feel safe when you’re not in control. That doesn’t mean being out of control...
Study: Engaging With Social Media Can Drain Your Brain
The retweet is a major social currency of our time. Even if we generally aren’t reading the stuff we’re retweeting, it seems harmless enough to share whatever grabs a sliver of our interest. But then again, maybe it’s not so harmless. So argues a new study by a research team from Cornell University and Beijing University. The researchers wondered if retweeting and otherwise sharing information...
A hostage negotiator's tips on how to get your kids to do what you want
1. Be nice "It's hard for people to be mean to someone who is being nice," says O'Sullivan. So when assigning an unpleasant task, do it with a smile. A calm or friendly voice will be received better than an urgent or demanding tone. 2. Frame orders as requests People don't like being told what to do. If a negotiator wants a barricaded subject to cooperate, they'll ask politely if he can come out...
