Optimistic people don’t just “feel happier,” they literally process information differently, at a perceptual level. Three experts explain.

Neuroscientist David Linden sheds light on the biology behind phenomena that medicine has long struggled to explain, from voodoo death and broken heart syndrome to the placebo effect, and why grief shows up in autopsy results

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.

Toxic positivity isn’t optimism. It’s denial. Historian Kate Bowler explains why our obsession with “good vibes only” is making it harder to cope.

Alain de Botton argues that our romantic lives are shaped more by the emotional patterns we learned in childhood than by destiny.

"The big question then is why are most people resilient and why are some people not resilient?"

“Why would adding shame and blame help me improve my behavior?”

“Psychedelics crosscut so many interesting domains. They've been used for time immemorial by indigenous cultures. In our own Western cultural history, they really exploded on the scene in the 1960s, and were associated with radical changes to society.”

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.”

Daily habits can help you thrive or quietly turn into addictions. The difference is how your brain handles cues, routines, and rewards. Three experts explain how to work with your wiring instead of against it.

“The way my mind works is just out of anxiety and catastrophization.”

“We can have that fight for a 1,000 years, but we could have a shot at figuring out what we both need and noticing when there's opportunities to make that happen.”

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.

Modern culture has made us feel like there’s no time to be patient. Sarah Schnitker’s lab at Baylor University is researching how this often-forgotten virtue could improve our overall well-being.

“Fraud is a trillion dollar problem, about $5 trillion today with that number increasingly rising annually.”

Biologist Tyler Volk PhD, psychiatrist Bruce Greyson MD, and palliative care physician BJ Miller MD, reveal how confronting mortality can improve the way we live.

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.

“There's a very pervasive belief that human nature is fundamentally selfish, but I know for a fact that that can't be true in part because my life was saved by a stranger a long time ago when I was 19.”

“What did you win? You won awkward silence. You won their contempt. You won the first to apologize. When you win an argument, you will lose their confidence, you will lose their respect, you will lose the connection.”

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.

From trepanning to lobotomies, humans have long struggled to manage emotion. Today, we have better tools. Psychologist Ethan Kross shares what actually works, and why.

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

“Fraud never sleeps. It's really a global problem. Fraud is a trillion dollar problem, about $5 trillion today, with that number increasingly rising annually.”

Rediscovering competition in an unexpected place helped her rewrite what was possible — and go on to win gold.

“CIA classifies their secrets according to different terminology. There's confidential secrets, there are secret level secrets, and then there are top secret secrets. And the way that they define each of these different levels actually has to do with the impact that would occur if the secret became public knowledge.”

Psychiatrist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk discusses key methods for rewiring the brain, kickstarting the healing process, and opening your mind to new perspectives.

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

"Being aware of your mindsets is the difference between living a conscious life, where you're making choices in accord with what you actually want and going where you actually wanna go, versus being on autopilot and having those mindsets subconsciously drive all of your decisions."

It can be overwhelming to navigate the pains of life, but the iconic self-help author believes you can find yourself by answering just four questions