’Tis The Season To Say Things We Later Regret – And New Research Tells Us Why
Christmas is a stressful time for many, so not surprisingly it’s also known as the season for arguments.
How to Constructively Handle the Ending of a Relationship
The question often is, "How can I call it quits with my partner in a constructive way?" First, end a relationship because you are following your inner knowing, not because you’re in the midst of an argument, emotional meltdown, or have specific topics that need resolution.
4 Tips For Handling Holiday Talks About The Climate Crisis
How can you talk about the science behind climate change with relatives who are disengaged, doubtful, or dismissive of it at holidays?
How Male Allies At Work Can Ease Sexism
A new study on sex-based discrimination toward women in the workplace documents the plusses and minuses of male allies.
Our World Is Getting Smaller: The Distance Between Us Is Shrinking
Has this happened to you? You strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, only to discover that you share surprising connections
How The Language We Use Entrenches Inequalities
We live in a society in which inequality is entrenched and increasing – in this context, words can have real and pernicious effects. This is particularly true of the way we speak about inequality itself.
Emotions And Experiences, Not More Data, Could Be The Antidote For Fake News
At a time when public debate around the world is suffering from a collision between facts and “alternative facts”, experts must find new ways to reach people.
How To Spot A Liar

On any given day we're lied to from 10 to 200 times, and the clues to detect those lie can be subtle and counter-intuitive.
How To Say No Without Feeling Guilty
To build up your courage for those really difficult "no's," start small. Practice saying no in non-threatening encounters where there isn't much at stake. Little by little, stretch yourself by saying no in more challenging circumstances.
Actually, It's Ok To Disagree. Here Are 5 Ways We Can Argue Better
Argument is everywhere. From the kitchen table to the boardroom to the highest echelons of power, we all use argument to persuade, investigate new ideas, and make collective decisions.
Why Politically Incorrect Speech Works In Politics
Using politically incorrect speech can help people appear more authentic, according to new research.
Giving Advice Doesn’t Just Help The Person Who Gets It
|Giving advice may actually benefit the advice-giver, according to new research.
How Limits Of The Mind Shape Human Language
When we speak, our sentences emerge as a flowing stream of sound. Unless we are really annoyed.
Bertrand Russell and The Case For 'Philosophy For Everyone'
One of the interesting questions we face as philosophers who are attempting to make philosophical ideas accessible for a general audience, is whether or not everyone can or should ‘do philosophy’.
The Do's and Don'ts of Empathy
Empathy is everywhere. In many ways, empathy is the social glue that holds everybody together. Empathy is a social experience that involves feeling external emotional energy to the point of mirroring an emotion and taking it into one’s own experience.
The Universality of A Good Story: The World According to Rumi
The universality of a good story serves to demonstrate that we’re not so different from our counterparts across the globe, which in turn prompts us to empathize with the “other” to the extent that we will eventually feel as the “other”; thus, respect and empathy are the inevitable by-products of this process.
The Warspeak Permeating Everyday Language Puts Us All In The Trenches
In a manifesto posted online shortly before he went on to massacre 22 people at an El Paso Walmart, Patrick Crusius cited the “invasion” of Texas by Hispanics.
How To Spot A Fake Review: You're Probably Worse At It Than You Realise
Ever relied on an online review to make a purchasing decision? How do you know it was actually genuine?
How Does False Information Spread Online?
Last summer the World Economic Forum (WEF) invited its 1,500 council members to identify top trends facing the world, including what should be done about them.
How To Lead A Conversation Between People Who Disagree

In a world deeply divided, how do we have hard conversations with nuance, curiosity, respect?
The Question You Should Never Ask Women
Are you ever around women who seem frustrated, upset or irritated? Have you ever asked one of them if she was on her period or perhaps been tempted to inquire?
The Spirit in All Things... and the Entire World
It may surprise you to learn that things that we typically think of as “objects” or “things” have consciousness, spirit, a life force or intelligence that can be felt, sensed, and communicated with. We know through quantum physics that there is intelligence, consciousness, and awareness in and through everything…
Communication Skills: Shifting Between Emotional and Mental Communication
We can effortlessly get lost in emotions socially, so it’s both wise and courageous to hone the ability of shifting between emotional and mental communication with others. Let’s explore a few methods for us to keep in mind when braving the necessity of human communication.
Communicating with Animals: Why and How
First, let’s establish why we would want to talk to animals. People all have their own reasons, but essentially, it can help to answer a lot of important questions, not only for you but for the animal, too. It also raises your awareness of all animals collectively. We need to learn to honor all creatures, no matter how insignificant they seem to us.
10 Rules Of Email That Will Reduce Your Stress Levels
Email and smart phones can be stressful. Academics are calling this constant work connection “technostress”. Consequently, many European countries are now offering employees the “right to disconnect”.
Is Technology Killing Our Ability To Talk Face To Face?
What with Facetime, Skype, Whatsapp and Snapchat, for many people, face-to-face conversation is used less and less often.
Think Direct Eye Contact Makes Someone Trustworthy?
We usually interpret someone looking us straight in the eye during an interaction as a sign of trustworthiness. In fact it can be rather unsettling when someone avoids eye contact.
Saying no is hard. These communication tips make it easy.

• Give yourself permission to say "no" to things. Saying yes to everything is a fast way to burn out. • Learn to say no in a way that keeps the door of opportunity open: No should never be a one-word
We Savor 7 Kinds Of Conversations Most
We tend to savor certain specific types of meaningful conversations, according to new research.
How Words Affect The Way We Think
Have you ever worried in your student years or later in life that time may be starting to run out to achieve your goals?
The Power of Listening and Observing
There is nothing wrong with setting goals, making plans, and then moving into action! Having a sense of direction and actively moving forward in that direction are essential if you want to make a meaningful difference in the world. However, telling life what it has to be and then doing whatever it takes to make that happen can significantly limit our possibilities. It can also lead to a lot of unnecessary pressure and stress.
Sacred Partnership: Letting Our Love Flow Into The World
Today, I am committed to spending every day that Charlie and I are together being kind, caring, considerate and loving. There has been enough pain, fear, and suffering. I am determined to see how much beauty and love I can create. And every day, I say a prayer of gratitude for having my life, my health, a devoted husband, my children, grandchildren, friends, and work that I love.
Why Family Group Texts Cause Anxiety, And How To Escape Them
I am not known for being especially easy to get hold of via text. I tend to keep my phone on silent as the high-pitched ping of an incoming message makes my cheeks flush with dread.
Being On The Same Page: A Human Being Cannot Exist As An Island
The truth is that a human being cannot exist as an island. We cannot thrive alone. We don’t want to be excluded. The truth is, we desperately want to belong to each other. And the highest truth of all is that in a universe where oneness is the highest truth of all, there is nothing in this universe that we don’t belong with and there is nothing in existence that doesn’t belong with us.
How To Have Productive Disagreements About Politics And Religion
In the current polarized climate, it’s easy to find yourself in the midst of a political disagreement that morphs into a religious argument.
3 Ways To Be Smart On Social Media
This past year, many people deleted their social media accounts following revelations about privacy violations on social media platforms and other concerns related to hate speech.
Is The English Language The World's Achilles Heel?
English has achieved prime status by becoming the most widely spoken language in the world – if one disregards proficiency
How Good Arguments Can Stop Extremism
Many of my best friends think that some of my deeply held beliefs about important issues are obviously false or even nonsense.
What Aristotle Can Teach Us About Trump's Rhetoric
From Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats to Ronald Reagan’s reputation as the “great communicator” to Barack Obama’s soaring oratory to Donald Trump’s Twitter use, styles of presidential communication have varied over time.
Listening to Ourselves Speak... Are We Being Mindful?
If we could listen to ourselves as we converse, we would probably be astounded at how often we speak mindlessly. We are so taken up with being the speaker that, quite innocently perhaps, we make insensitive comments, speak inaccurately, or talk too much, hardly aware...
Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas Dinner
One of the key lessons in my Life Coach Training Program is the technique of reframing, taking a situation that seems daunting and finding another way to look at it that is empowering.
When 'What's On Your Mind' Is Tragic, Not Happy – Sharing Sad News On Social Media
It’s always wonderful to share happy news – in person and on social media. New jobs, weddings and becoming parents of healthy children are all commonly posted online, and often gather lots of encouraging comments and congratulations.
How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Us Better At Expressing Ourselves
Argument and debate form the cornerstones of civilised society and intellectual life. Processes of argumentation run our governments, structure scientific endeavour and frame religious belief. So should we worry that new advances in artificial intelligence are taking steps towards equipping computers with these skills?
Facebook Posts that Use These Words Can Predict Depression
Researchers have created an algorithm that analyzes social media posts to find linguistic markers for depression. In any given year, depression affects more than six percent of the adult population in the United States—some 16 million people—but fewer than half receive the treatment they need.
Why There Is No Middle Ground For Deep Disagreements About Facts
Consider how one should respond to a simple case of disagreement. Frank sees a bird in the garden and believes it’s a finch. Standing beside him, Gita sees the same bird, but she’s confident it’s a sparrow.
Taking the Risk to Listen and Be Heard with the Heart
We may think that because of the development of the ability to see and hear into the far reaches of space that we must be quite advanced in the field of communication. But all this has little effect on our ability to listen with our heart...
Does The Media Encourage and Sustain Political Warfare? And How We Participate As Well
Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has been waging war against the American press by dismissing unfavorable reports as “fake news” and calling the media “the enemy of the American people.”
The Art of Speaking Up and Taking Charge of Your Life
Both men and women have to learn to speak up in order to take charge of their lives and cultivate meaningful relationships! This applies to school, work, business, family, and social events. As scary as it can seem at first, I guarantee that speaking up will bring copious rewards and breakthrough moments.
A Team Model May Leave Fewer Students Feeling Left Out
A new model could help make college students working together in teams feel more included, according to a new paper.
Can You Tell Fact From Fiction In The News?
Have you clicked through to this article from your news feed? Are you checking it on your phone? More of us are consuming news online, and increasingly we’re turning to social media for news. Social media platforms are now the main source of news for Australians aged 18 to 24.
How Light and Life Always Guide Us Home
When I moved into a rented cottage on Maui, Hawaii, some years ago, I found a little Russian Blue cat with gray fur and yellow eyes sitting on the porch staring at me. I learned that she was feral and that my neighbor Koa called her Pepper, and that she came by around the same time every day.
Don't Kill the Messenger... Pay Attention to the Message
Many of our "life lessons" come to us through what we might usually call a "negative" experience, or possibly a "negative" person in our life. However, the addition of the term negative to any person or situation is simply a perception, or a judgment, on our part.
Sacred Speech and Silence: From the Heart and to the Soul
We spend much of our time talking about trivial matters and practical ones -- the weather, plans for the day, routine office events, frivolous gossip, the next technological miracle, etc. So little of our conversation addresses our passions, loves, emotions, dreams, or our creative insights...
How To Know If An Online Discussion Is Going To Get Nasty
Researchers have created a model to predict which civil online conversations might take a turn and derail. After analyzing hundreds of exchanges between Wikipedia editors, the researchers developed a computer program that scans for warning signs in participants’ language at the start of a conversation...
8 Steps for Powerful Connection and Engagement
I was raised on “don’t hurt other people’s feelings — be nice.” The concept of setting personal boundaries was foreign to me... How could I tell her she had overstepped her boundaries?
Business for Lovers and Authentic Communicators
I invite you to extend your circle of authentic conversations to include not just lovers, but people you encounter in situations that appear to be routine, boring, or mundane. A master teacher told me that one of the secrets of success is to “take whatcha got and make whatcha want.”
The Four Communication Rules and Four Main Violations
After thirty-five years in private psychotherapy practice and decades of studying and teaching, I've found all good communication boils down to just four simple rules. Whether it's with our spouse, our kids or our boss, mastering these concepts will have us communicating with anyone about any topic, effectively and lovingly.
How Misogyny, Narcissism And A Desperate Need For Power Make Men Abuse Women Online
While the occurrence of sexist harassment online is well documented, we less often consider what might be driving this behavior
When You Need To Negotiate, Moderate-Intensity Anger May Help
During negotiations, high-intensity anger elicits smaller concessions than moderate-intensity anger, a new study suggests.
Are Know-It-Alls More Ignorant Than They’ll Admit?
People who think their knowledge and beliefs are superior to others are especially prone to overestimating what they actually know, new research suggests.
Why Humor Is Good For You If You Do It Right
Humor isn’t always useful or beneficial for reaching our goals, new research suggests. Research from the UA's Eller College of Management suggests that humor is a good thing in certain situations, but its effectiveness depends on your end goal.
Why People Who Live In Diverse Neighborhoods Are More Helpful
Whether or not diversity is a good thing is still a topic of much debate. Though many businesses tout the benefits of diversity, American political scientist Robert Putnam holds that diversity causes people to hunker down, creating mistrust in communities.
The Power of the Circle Improves the Quality of Our Connections
Most people would agree that connection is a basic human need. Yet these days, it can be hard to come by. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States from 2014 to 2017, claims that “Loneliness is a growing health epidemic.”
Why Is It So Stressful To Talk Politics With The "Other Side"?
People disagree all the time, but not all disagreements lead to the same levels of stress. Even though people can be passionate about their favorite sport teams, they can argue about which basketball team is the best without destroying friendships.
The Long Tradition Of Women Being Told To Shut Up
Professor Mary Beard’s latest book Women & Power: A Manifesto is a short, sharp analysis of women in the West and their ongoing struggles for a voice in the public domain.
Why Our Faces Show What We Want, Not What We Feel
Our facial expressions stem primarily from what we want out of social interactions, not our feelings, new research suggests.
Practicing The Art Of High-Quality Connections
Practicing the art of connection in small, seemingly insignificant everyday actions is the key to being able to utilize it when you’re confronting a challenge with someone at work or a crisis in any relationship. As you explore building rapport with cashiers, waiters, and others, you’ll be setting the stage for greater skill in building the relationships that matter the most...
Why Is Sarcasm So Difficult To Detect In Texts And Emails?
This sentence begins the best article you will ever read. Chances are you thought that last statement might be sarcasm
Loneliness Is Not Just An Issue In Old Age – Young People Suffer Too
In old age, many people experience a decline in their physical health, which can mean they are less confident about getting around and socialising as they used to.
To Really Choose a Man
To really love a man is to choose him over and over again. It’s not enough to say marriage vows one time, though that is certainly important. The relationship is deepened if you let him know often that you would choose him all over again if given the choice.
How You Can Use Color To Communicate How You Feel
When people are sad they are often said to be “blue”. Jealousy is implied if someone is described as being “green with envy”.
Minding Our Words and Saying What We Really Mean
Telepathy is the language of communication in the spiritual realm. Imagine knowing the thoughts of all the people around you and having all your thoughts revealed without speaking. No one could manipulate or pretend to be other than who they are. All our motivations, fears, and loves would be exposed.
Are You More Likely To Deny The Truth In Your Second Language?
Whether you’re speaking in your native tongue, or in another language, being understood and believed is fundamental to good communication. After all, a fact is a fact in any language, and a statement that is objectively true should just be considered true, whether presented to you in English, Chinese or Arabic.
Accessing The Power of Silent Communication and Love
I have come to believe, through watching the etheric state, that we are all in silent subliminal dialogue with each other. I've observed the flashes of energy that pass back and forth between people, and I've seen people react to thoughts that are projected toward them. Thoughts jump...
Being Heard: Taking the Risk to Speak Your Truth and Asking For What You Want
One of the reasons we often don't speak out is that we feel hopeless about being heard. It's probably true that you haven't been heard in the past — by your parents, siblings, spouses, or friends — and so, there's a part of you that says...
How To Get Your Message Across In Just 60 Seconds
Do you have something important to say, but find it hard to get people’s attention? Or have you tried to listen to someone who claims to have something interesting to impart, but they can’t explain it and the idea gets lost? (Or worse, you get bored and lose interest, even if they’re trying to describe their revolutionary new laser shark).
Why Does A Period In A Text Message Make You Sound Insincere Or Angry?
When it comes to texting, the period, full stop, point – whatever you call it – has been getting a lot of attention. People have begun noticing slight changes to the way our smallest punctuation mark is deployed, from declarations that it’s going out of style to claims that it’s becoming angry.
I’ve Been There, Honey
There's a huge difference between sympathy and empathy, between "I'm sorry" and "I've been there." It's not that sympathy is bad. It's just that empathy invites a connection that sympathy simply can't. Sympathy says, "I feel sorry for you." while empathy declares "I am you."
Conversation Tips for Surviving the Holidays
Sometimes, you just can't relate to your relatives. Whether it's sports, politics, or past events, gathering around a dinner table during the holiday season can be a daunting prospect.
“The purpose of life is to learn”: An Indigenous Approach to Research
How does the mainstream Western research approach, characterized by the laboratory experiment, compare with an Indigenous approach? Danny Musqua, the Anishnabeq elder who is my spiritual father, tells a story about his Indigenous research effort.
The Horror And Pleasure Of Misused Words
American film director Judd Apatow once confessed to Stephen Colbert that he’d been mispronouncing his wife's name for nearly two decades. He’d been saying “Lez-lee”, while she pronounces it as “Less-lee”. When he asked her why she hadn’t corrected his mistake, she said she “thought he wouldn’t be able to make the adjustment”.
When It Comes To Mental Health, A Problem Shared Can Be A Problem Doubled
People discuss their problems with friends in the hope that they’ll gain some insight into how to solve them. How problems are discussed, though, can be the difference between halving a problem or doubling it.
You Are Unique, Yet “You” Is Not Really “I,” It Is “We”
Can you be bold to love the world? Can you put your love for the world first? When you do, when it’s the real thing, you discover that “you” is not really “I,” it is “we.” Such a fundamental identity shift is disruptive and liberating.
Why Having The Sex Talk Early And Often With Your Kids Is Good For Them
Parents may be uncomfortable initiating “the sex talk,” but whether they want to or not, parents teach their kids about sex and sexuality. Kids learn early what a sexual relationship looks like.
How Men And Women Really See Each Other
I saw two very different shows at the Edinburgh Fringe last week, two shows that dealt with the subject of how men and women talk about each other, in very different formats and with very different levels of success.
Being and Communicating with The Elders of the Seas
From the first day of our trip, we were met by the whales. Although I had been in deep communication with the whales and had received instructions for the structure and practices for the trip in the year prior our journey, I was still blown away by the magnitude of what we experienced.
When It Comes To Kids And Social Media, It's Not All Bad News
While we often hear about the negative impact social media has on children, the use of sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is not a one-size-fits-all activity.
How Loneliness In Older People Makes Them More Vulnerable To Financial Scammers
Fraud investigators have warned that people are being targeted by scammers who persuade them to invest their pensions in self-storage units.
Millennial Bashing In Medieval Times: Same Old, Same Old?
In Sir Thomas Malory’s ‘Le Morte d'Arthur,’ a character complains that young people are too sexually promiscuous. 14th- and 15th-century texts hold a lesson for the 21st century. Anxieties about “kids these days” are misguided, not because nothing changes, but because historical change cannot be predicted.
Learning To Communicate Honestly With Others
What does it take to communicate honestly with other people? First of all, it takes knowing your own mind. But when it comes to communicating honestly with others, knowing yourself isn’t enough. Communicating with others is a skill – but not necessarily a skill we’re born with!
How To Be Who You Are By Expressing Your Truth
Part of self-expression is claiming your originality. You are unique and special and you should tell the world who you are! One of the good ways social media has helped our culture is to encourage originality.
How To Use The Three Bridges to Create Joy, Love, and Peace
Sometimes it's obvious what emotion a person is dealing with. Other times it's not. With just a little practice, you'll be able to recognize the emotions underlying other people's demeanor, words, and actions. And rather than getting sucked into a knee-jerk reaction to their abrupt tone, negativity, or finger-pointing tirade, you can get to the heart of the matter and extend a communication "bridge."
Why Our Eyes Give Away What We’re Feeling Inside
Why are our eyes so expressive? It started as a universal reaction to environmental stimuli, new research suggests, and evolved to communicate emotion.
Recognizing and Honoring Uniqueness by Calling Animals And Humans By Name
In the 1990s, many of the equestrians I encountered believed that animals were incapable of thought and emotion. “It’s all instinct,” one of my trainers told me whenever I brought up anecdotal evidence to the contrary. Some of the local ranchers insisted that, unlike dogs, horses weren’t smart enough to recognize their own names.
How Does Culture Influence Our Communication and Body Language
All animals have a culture and a language associated with that culture. Whether the language contains words or some other vocalization, all of these cultures will include body language. For example, horses are limited in vocabulary to a series of soft snickerings...
What It Takes to Change Hearts and Minds
To get someone’s support, you need more than just facts. The most effective method is aligning communication about your cause with the most deeply-held values and aspirations of your friends, relatives, neighbors, and fellow citizens.
When Recovering From Disasters, Social Networks Matter More Than Bottled Water And Batteries
Standard advice about preparing for disasters focuses on building shelters and stockpiling things like food, water and batteries. But resilience - the ability to recover from shocks, including natural disasters - comes from our connections to others.
Why Do Men and Women Feel Things Differently?
Many studies have shown that women's brains are wired differently from men's so they can both feel and recall both positive and negative emotions more strongly than men. But, just because women seem to be more comfortable in the emotional realm, does not mean that men don't, can't, or shouldn't thrive in it...
Why Call Center Workers Love To Use Your Name
Most of us dread dealing with them, but call centres are hard to avoid as an increasingly ubiquitous aspect of modern life.