Mental Health

Scientific Expertise vs. the Dunning-Kruger Effect

Scientific Expertise vs. the Dunning-Kruger Effect





Type Ia supernova

Source: NASA/public domain



In 2011, Adam Riess—my one-time freshman roommate at MIT and now Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Thomas J. Barber Professor of Space Studies at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences ...
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When Trivial Situations Provoke Extreme Reactions

When Trivial Situations Provoke Extreme Reactions





When we have a reaction that does not fit the event, our inner wounds have been triggered.

Source: unsplash/Tahiro Achoub



On my afternoon commute home this week, I was stopped and watching for an opening to cross at a local intersection. A...
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Should April Be “Autism Acceptance Month”?

Should April Be "Autism Acceptance Month"?
April is Autism Awareness Month. As this particular April progresses, to those of us in the autistic community, one thing has become very clear: Many people with autism don’t like the way autism awareness is discussed and conceptualized by ma...
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When Posting on Social Media Brings You Down

When Posting on Social Media Brings You Down







Source: Photo by geo uc on Unsplash



When we post content on social media, we never know what we’re going to get. There’s a chance we’ll get likes, comments, shares, messages, and followers, plus a surge of positive emotions and self-estee...
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Narcissism in Sexual Relationships

Narcissism in Sexual Relationships







Source: Shutterstock, Prazis Images



Despite its sordid reputation, narcissism is not universally harmful or unproductive. In fact, the term healthy narcissism, first coined in the 1970s[1], suggests that those without some degree of narcissism—those wi...
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Frustrated at Teaching or Being Taught Something at Work?

Frustrated at Teaching or Being Taught Something at Work?
Have you ever been frustrated when trying to teach someone something, or when someone is trying to teach you? Perhaps it was most noticeable when you were needing to be taught something at work, or you were helping someone new. Perhaps you ...
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How Much Exercise is Necessary to Lose Weight?

How Much Exercise is Necessary to Lose Weight?
A few days ago, I saw the pharmacist at my local CVS and remarked on how thin he had become. “I have been doing marathons," he told me, "and I am planning to do a 100 miler next week.” Never overweight, his seemingly excessive running seemed to ha...
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The Curious Case of Delusional Parasitosis

The Curious Case of Delusional Parasitosis







Source: karlyukav/Freepik



I'm not too fond of bugs. I understand their importance in our ecosystems, and I appreciate them in an abstract sense. However, I've lived through several ant, house fly, and spider infestations while staying in rundown ...
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How to Talk with Your Kids About Social Media

How to Talk with Your Kids About Social Media
Parents often ask me how to have better conversations about social media with their preteens and teens. The tips below were written with social media and parenting in mind, but you can use these principles to talk about any topic—and with anyone in yo...
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Is This One Lifestyle Habit the Key to Happiness?

Is This One Lifestyle Habit the Key to Happiness?







Source: Denise Jones/Unsplash



A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology explained how creating and experiencing autonomy may be the most important ingredient that influences day-to-day happiness.
“Simply put, autonomy is t...
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