"One of the largest mitigating factors against getting traumatized is who is there for you at that particular time."

In this excerpt from "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...," Steven Pinker examines how crying may have evolved as part of a suite of emotional expressions aimed at strengthening social bonds.

“The sexual excitation system is the accelerator or the gas pedal, and it notices all the sex-related information in the environment.”

It's OK to hate a frigid pond.

“You can be aware of sadness from a point of view that is not merely sad, and you can be aware of fear from a point of view that's not merely afraid.”

Many of us rely on emotional advice that doesn’t actually work. Psychologist Ethan Kross offers a smarter, science-backed approach to managing emotions with flexibility and perspective.

What if emotional regulation isn’t just a trait, but a skill parents and teachers can help develop? Ethan Kross reveals what science says about shaping young minds.

"Virtually everything we're taught about sexuality for the first two decades of our lives is wrong."

New research is uncovering why we eat first with our expectations.

“Many people get stuck in feeling responsible for their psychological state, and there's a way in which simply being with whatever uncomfortable emotions rather than believing that you are controlling them can be extremely beneficial for psychological wellbeing.”

The biases that shape our understanding of the mind.

There’s little more infuriating in the world than being told to “calm down” when you’re in the midst of a simmering grump.

"I know what you're thinking" can sound kind or creepy — depending on who's saying it.

Admitting that we know little about our future selves can radically improve our decision-making.

Biology plays an important role in emotional reactions, but neuroscientist Kristen A. Lindquist posits that our culture is just as influential.

Survey data suggests that our bodily perceptions of love extend far beyond the heart.

According to neuropsychologist Julia DiGangi, no one can live a life free of emotional pain. We can only choose how those emotions empower us.

No, emotions don’t happen TO you. Here’s what happens instead.

A study shows that the brains of lonely individuals respond in odd ways to visual stimuli, while those of non-lonely people react similarly.

Awe-inspiring moments can be found in our daily lives, and they have surprising benefits for our health and sense of well-being.

It may be an advantage in some contexts.

Sniffing out a deal.

Eyes with lower pigment (blue or grey eyes) don’t need to absorb as much light as brown or dark eyes before this information reaches the retinal cells. This might provide light-eyed people with some resilience to SAD.

A technique called targeted memory reactivation could improve common treatments for nightmare disorder.

If you're trying to hide how you feel about something, be careful with your hands.

Plants are very sensitive to touch, with research showing that touching a plant can change its genome and launch a cascade of plant hormones.

Experiencing too much pleasure and not enough pain may yield counterintuitive consequences.

As the saying goes: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional”.