Psychology

On happiness and social connection

You might assume that we are creatures that are built to be happy. But the sad thing is that we're really not wired for happiness. During a recent YouTube binge, I stumbled upon this video featuring Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale who studies the science of

Psychology

On fear, uncertainty, and doubt

During the 1950s and 60s, the tobacco industry infamously used fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) as a propaganda technique. To protect their cash cow, they not only deliberately sowed doubt about the growing evidence against cigarette use by funding dubious studies, but also brazenly promoted ads like this: These tactics

Thought Experiment

On the Ship of Theseus

Consider the following scenario: According to legend, Theseus, the mythical Greek founder-king of Athens, rescued the children of Athens from King Minos after slaying the minotaur and then escaped onto a ship going to Delos. Each year, the Athenians commemorated this victory by performing repairs on the ship and taking

Psychology

On the paradox of choice

As humans, we have a natural tendency to seek out more options, believing that more choices will always lead to greater satisfaction. However, as psychologist Barry Schwartz points out, too many options can actually lead to a paradoxical decrease in satisfaction. This is what he calls the paradox of choice:

Social Psychology

On the hedonic treadmill

I’ve recently been thinking about some of the harmful scripts that we take for granted in modern society. We tend to define success narrowly—in terms of money, fame, power, or some combination. We place a high value on material possessions, driven by a culture of consumerism and conspicuous

Psychology

On unlearning and rethinking

From a young age, many of us are taught that conviction and confidence are indisputable virtues. In school, we’re rewarded for being right and punished for being wrong, even on topics that don’t have black-or-white answers. With friends, we play status games by attempting to prove each other

Personal Development

On alcohol

Alcohol was a taboo topic in my family growing up. I was told in no uncertain terms that drinking was bad and that alcohol should be avoided at all costs. And I believed it, or at least I thought I did. During my teenage years, I abstained from alcohol and

Sociology

On changing course

This is my last post inspired by the book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. You can find all posts from this series here. -- In his book, Tim Urban makes the case that hyper-polarization and many of the socio-cultural challenges we face today result from low-rung

Human Progress

On Formula 1 and human ingenuity

I had the opportunity to attend the Formula 1 race in Miami this past weekend, and wow, what an experience! I’m a born-again F1 fan. As a kid in the late 90s through my teens in the mid-2000s, I used to watch every race. But when my favorite driver,

Political Philosophy

On the paradox of tolerance

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- To diagnose the cause of polarization in our society, Urban introduces the concept of "idea supremacy" and the epidemic of social authoritarianism that we are currently

Culture

On Indian Matchmaking and generational differences

I just finished watching season 3 of Indian Matchmaking, the reality TV show that’s seemingly more popular in the US than in India. I’m usually not into reality shows, so after watching 24 episodes across 3 seasons, I needed to understand why. What was it about this particular

Social Psychology

On social authoritarianism

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- In a previous post on how we think, we discussed how low-rung thinking considers ideas sacred and values conformity. What happens when we add another dimension to this

Psychology

On the sailboat of life

One of the main reasons I decided to take a sabbatical recently was my desire to get to know myself better and understand what motivates me at a deeper level. A particular area of reflection was growing up in a religious household. At some point in my teenage years, the

Political Philosophy

On the liberal pyramid

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- In the post on Power Games and Liberal Games, we discussed how the Enlightenment ushered in a new way for human societies to function, with a focus on

Personal Development

On the unpredictability of life

Last week was surreal for me, and it reminded me of the precarious nature of life. My wife and I both experienced unexpected medical situations that we could not have planned for and we found ourselves recovering for much of the week. We’re both well on our way to

Political Psychology

On media polarization

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- To explain our current political environment, Tim Urban posits that human nature is fundamentally constant—we’re just evolved apes often controlled by our limbic system i.e.

On burnout

Burnout is one of those things that many people experience but few want to talk about. That doesn’t surprise me. Acknowledging burnout feels like admitting to a weakness or a flaw. When you're well-compensated or working on something that others would only dream of, taking a break

Political Philosophy

On Power Games and Liberal Games

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- In the previous post on genies and golems, we explored how Echo Chamber cultures demonstrate tribal, herd mentality while Idea Lab cultures are exemplified by collaborative yet diverse

Personal Development

On sabbaticals

When I decided to step back from the startup I was working on and take a sabbatical earlier this year, I didn't know what to expect. Although excited to get a much-needed reset, I initially felt anxious about the uncertainty of what was next and a sense of

Social Psychology

On genies and golems

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- Building on his idea of the thinking ladder (see here for a quick recap) and distinguishing how we think from what we think, Tim Urban introduces the concept

Cognitive Bias

On status quo bias

When you’re shopping for toothpaste, do you buy the same one or try a new one each time? That's not a trick question. If you’re like most people, you pick a toothpaste you like and then stick with it. That’s an example of status quo

Political Philosophy

On Thought Piles and Speech Curves

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- To outline the importance of free speech, Tim Urban utilizes the concepts of Thought Piles and Speech Curves. Let’s explore. Each of us has an inner self,

Personal Development

On values

Ever wonder why you make the choices you do? What drives your decisions and actions? Human decision-making is a complex process, but personal values play a crucial role. These guiding principles shape every aspect of our lives, but they often go unnoticed and unexplored. In my view, our formal education

Political Psychology

On low-rung politics (aka Political Disney World)

This post is part of a series on Tim Urban’s book, What’s Our Problem? a self-help book for societies. -- Last week we discussed high-rung politics, based on a culture of intellectual humility and open, nuanced debate. Today, we'll explore low-rung politics, or what Tim Urban

Personal Development

On the nomad life

To say that COVID was life-changing would be an understatement. After the initial fear and uncertainty subsided, it became an exercise in personal growth and transformation for me and my wife. The catalyst for change was our decision to live nomadically. It began innocently enough. Four months into the pandemic,