In 2022, secrecy is often thought to be extremely negative; a way to conceal information that ought to come to light. Attitudes about secrecy have changed over centuries though, and it is interesting to consider the balance between society wanting transparency, for example to hold the powerful to account, and also wanting privacy, which requires … Continue reading Secrecy and Personal Control
How do ritual practices create meaning, and how does that interact with psychology? Continue reading Mind Maps: Impacts of Ritual and Symbolism
I’m writing this early in the morning of Election Day 2020 in the United States. This post is not going to be about political opinions, but about how they affect us, and today is the most salient day to bear this in mind, as we end a divisive & difficult season with hopes of more … Continue reading What Politics Draws Out of Us
What’s happening in your circle of friends and family profoundly impacts how you think about risk and threat. Continue reading Rare vs. Common: How We Think About Threat
The hype cycle helps tell the story of how societies experiment and learn, and what it shows us about people’s psychology Continue reading The Hype Cycle: How We Adopt New Ideas
Most of our actions are based on guesses about what will happen in the future and what will make us happy, and so we can change our behavior by understanding and changing how we do that prediction. Continue reading How People Predict the Future: Amos Tversky
When we talk to one another, we aren’t just communicating but we are forming and evolving our own set of beliefs over time. Through practice, or recitation, beliefs take shape, and become more firm. Continue reading How Talking Changes our Beliefs and Minds
Whenever we experience a piece of art like a movie or hear a piece of music, there are two forms of meaning – the meaning that the art gives to you, and the meaning that you put into it. Continue reading Bringing Yourself: Projection
What is Masonic ritual, how does it work, and why do we do it? Continue reading Why Ritual
Certain feelings are overwhelming. Or confusing and twisted; we can’t even begin to describe what’s going on inside of ourselves. A person close to me once relayed a story about being with a therapist, and being overcome with feelings of anxiety. The therapist told her not to focus on naming the feeling, but just experiencing … Continue reading Say My Name
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