Our motivations and sense of self may be more deeply shaped by our connections and social history than we think.

Memory decline doesn’t suddenly begin in old age, it unfolds gradually over decades. The good news: this common, daily habit can chemically and structurally shift the trajectory. 3 experts explain

Americans believe they can outthink suffering. Historian Kate Bowler explains how our obsession with self-help, optimization, and positivity became a kind of secular religion.

What’s in a number? Only a vanishingly small slice of your life, it turns out.

How many stupid acts does it take to make a person stupid?

Writer and media theorist Bogna Konior connects cosmos and computer by reconsidering our eerily silent Universe.

In this excerpt from How to Live a Meaningful Life, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans discuss how flow transforms ordinary moments into deeply human experiences.

From science to philosophy, three perspectives explore why humans can’t stop asking “why.” Our search for purpose, they suggest, is less about finding answers and more about learning how to move forward.

“When you start to accept that you have profound influence on the world, but very limited control, you start to see the world differently.”

A conversation with investor and author Alex Morris on what Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger can teach us about focus, discipline, and building a life that lasts.

Primatologist Frans de Waal argues that studying chimpanzees and bonobos not only fascinates but also provides valuable insights into human behavior, particularly in areas like leadership, emotions, and gender, which are essential to our identity and societal functioning.

A physician, a psychologist, and a mindfulness teacher explain what stress does to your body and mind, and how to use it to get smarter and stronger.

Here are three ways to do it better.

“Nothing about human behavior makes sense except in the light of culture and in anthropology, and we need to understand the cultural component to our behaviors as well.”

For many of us, our imperfect vision compels us to wear corrective lenses to see properly. Here's what everyone should know about LASIK.

It’s something to wrestle and live with, says behavioral scientist Arthur Brooks.

How deep is your kink?

From the printing press to the internet, every technological revolution in history has reshaped human thought. Now, with AI accelerating by the day, philosopher Meghan Sullivan asks: Are we ready for the philosophical shift that must follow?

Aristotle thought that a friend you love is considered your ‘second-self’, someone whose pain feels like your own. Philosopher Meghan Sullivan asks, what happens when you extend that kind of love to strangers?

“The fear of panic has killed more people than most disasters themselves.”

“The voice in your head is not you. You are listening to that voice. It’s a heckler, trying to make you feel bad.”

It's time to invest in your rest.

When you enter someone's home, you learn how life is lived elsewhere.

"The truth is that the skills that go into both motivation and manipulation are almost the same skills. The same level of persuasion, the same level of influence, the same level of charisma and dynamic creative thinking drives us to both be manipulated and be motivated."

Why the advertising legend — and author of Alchemy — believes that inefficiency can be genius and insects can unlock innovation.

When appraising human behavior, people tend to forgo the lessons of psychology in favor of assumption and anecdote.

Plato's cave metaphor illustrates the cognitive trap of ignorance, where we may be unaware of the limitations of our understanding.

"Humans, like most mammals, tend to shut down in really frightening situations for which they have no training or prior experience. Researchers call it negative panic. People do nothing. They shut down."

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Reading this article would be such a millennial thing to do.