Friendship might be the key to well-being. We all recognize having strong relationships is important for our well being. The world is filled with advice on how to improve your relationship with your family, your coworkers, and your romantic partner. But there’s precious little information on how to make and maintain friends. That’s too bad…
I travel often enough that when people ask me where I’m based, I sometimes joke “Seat 4F.” I’ve been able to observe a lot of passengers boarding planes. Based on what I’ve seen, how we board airplanes doesn’t work very well. And based on what I’ve read, it doesn’t make sense either. All U.S. airlines…
A few years ago I wrote an article based on Wendy Wood’s theory that the key to breaking a habit is to break the routine associated with it. For example, Wood found college students were more successful in breaking their television habit if the TV were placed in an unfamiliar location. I joked that I…
Be Positive. The world is awash with advice that we should have a positive attitude. As one aphorism goes, if you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t. From motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, to advice books like The Power of Positive Thinking, to repeating daily affirmations, everyone seems to…
Given that multiple research studies show only a small fraction of employees are engaged at work, I’ve spent a disproportionate amount of time talking to people about how leaders can empower employees and unlock their potential. Gary Hamel, co-founder of the Management Innovation eXchange (MIX), and I discussed these issues during a Maverick Hangout last…
Ever notice that food tastes better when someone else makes it for you? In the fourth annual Food and Drink issue of the NY Times magazine, noted psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains: When you make your own sandwich, you anticipate its taste as you’re working on it. And when you think of a particular food for…
Are people happier in California? Almost everywhere I’ve visited, I’ve encountered the belief that people are happier in California. When pressed for an explanation, the most common response is the good weather. As studies have shown sunlight positively influences mood, perhaps everyone should move to California. That might make the world a happier place. Practicality aside, it turns…
Lake Woebegone is a fictional Minnesota town on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion which is described as a place “where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” Lake Woebegone may be fictional but the tendency of people to overestimate their own positive qualities and…
It might be time to move out of the suburbs. Until about 100 years ago, almost every city in the world was laid out on a rectangular grid. New York City and Washington D.C. are prototypical U.S. examples; most European capitals are also. Starting around 1930 however, city designers abandoned dense urban grids for garden…
What Have I Read Lately (WHIRL)? I’ve just read the 48-page survey article entitled ‘Bad Is Stronger Than Good’: The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events, close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have…