The friendship recession Americans without friends have increased 400% in recent years. Here’s why. ▸ 8 min — with Richard Reeves
Thinking Why do we hesitate to say “I love you” to our friends? It's time to bring "friendship love" back.
Neuropsych Americans more than ever have no friends. Here are 5 steps to make more friends The lack of friendship is particularly a problem for men. But there are easy ways to make friends.
Neuropsych Teen friendship has suffered a seismic shift over the past 20 years — with depressing results Since 2012, the amount of time that teenagers spend socializing in person has plummeted. Is it a coincidence that depression is more common?
The Well Einstein wasn’t a lone agent. Here’s why that matters. Science writer George Musser on the unsung role of friendship in science’s biggest discoveries. ▸ 6 min — with George Musser
The Past Humanity solved the “trust paradox” by going tribal — and paid a horrific price Evolutionary pressures drove the formation of tribes who encoded their values in myths and symbols. Was this cooperation cursed?
Thinking What people fail to understand about the dangers of loneliness We don’t understand why loneliness is bad for us if all we can say is that it hurts.
Why men and boys are struggling Richard Reeves explains the big problems facing men today — and why no one is talking about them. ▸ 1:25:18 min — with Richard Reeves
Health Do we like our friends because they stink like we do? When it comes to vetting people for friendship, body odor seems to be a decisive factor.
Leadership How to build a lasting team: friendship, trust, and the art of managing sideways When the going gets tough, nothing beats a wide network of tried-and-true connections.
The Present One of the few places where America’s rich and poor mingle: Olive Garden and ALDI To see a true cross-section of American society, head to Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Chili’s, and Olive Garden.
High Culture Esperanto: The artificial language that aimed to unite humanity Esperanto was intended to be an easy-to-learn second language that enabled you to speak with anyone on the planet.
The Well 95% of your behavior is primate behavior He's studied apes for 50 years - here's what most people get wrong. ▸ 6 min — with Frans de Waal
Business Teams are constantly “storming”: Here’s how to do it well Team storming — as defined by psychologist Bruce Tuckman — can be fractious. Done right, the benefits are immense.
The Learning Curve The loneliness epidemic is a myth Claims of a "loneliness epidemic" aren't based on robust data. Loneliness might be a problem, but it's not worse than it was in the past.
The Present Conventional wisdom says we shouldn’t date our friends. It’s wrong. Two-thirds of romances start out as friendships.
Thinking How Nietzsche can improve your love life The infamous misogynist had some profound insights on romance.
Thinking The one thing the 1980s got right: The “Slow Movement” philosophy Nothing meaningful is done quickly.
13.8 Quantum nothingness might have birthed the Universe There is no such thing as a void in the Universe.
Perception Box Comedian Neal Brennan shares how to quiet your inner critic He co-created one of TV’s funniest shows. He still felt like a failure in his 30s. This is comedian Neal Brennan’s story about conquering toxic self-talk. ▸ with Neal Brennan
Health How mRNA vaccines went from years of rejection to the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine Undeterred by years of failure, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman proved that mRNA is the future of vaccines.
Neuropsych Here’s what to do when you encounter people with “dark personality traits” at work Anyone can have a bad day at work, but not everyone scores this high on narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
Smart Skills Sobremesa: To live a better life, we should eat dinner like the Spanish Quality down time is important for relationships. Here are three practical suggestions to create more of it.
Leadership Six degrees of Kevin Bacon and other insights from network science A new technique for analyzing networks can tell who wields soft power.
Business Beyond Spinoza’s “conatus”: How to disrupt workplace inertia and thrive We were not born to stagnate — the point of life (and work) is to go somewhere.
Smart Skills Ask yourself these 4 essential questions to break the “outrage machine” The outrage machine is fueled by toxicity. But there are practical steps that we can take to recapture control over our emotions.
Neuropsych Frans de Waal: Acclaimed primatologist and impactful Big Thinker His career helped define humanity’s place in the world by bringing us “a little closer” to our ape relatives.
Business The “Reitoff principle”: Why you should add “nothing” to your work-life schedule The Reitoff principle gives us permission to "write off" a day and intentionally step away from achieving anything.
The Learning Curve Don’t be a maverick: 5 rules for life from the actual TOPGUN school You don’t need to ride into the danger zone to take advantage of TOPGUN’s life and career lessons.