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Nice Guys Finish First
The New York Times: The story of evolution, we have been told, is the story of the survival of the fittest. The strong eat the weak. The creatures that adapt to the environment pass on their selfish genes. Those that do not become extinct. In this telling, we humans are like all other animals — deeply and thoroughly selfish. We spend our time trying to maximize our outcomes — competing for status, wealth and mating opportunities. Behavior that seems altruistic is really self-interest in disguise. Charity and fellowship are the cultural drapery atop the iron logic of nature. All this is partially true, of course.
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Geld maakt echt niet gelukkig
GezondheidsNet: Onderzoekers van universiteiten van Yale, Denver en Jeruzalem vergeleken meerdere onderzoeken naar geluk en concludeerden dat geluk niet gezien moet worden als een universeel goed 'iets'. In hun artikel in het tijdschrift Perspectives on Psychological Science beschreven ze een aantal negatieve voorbeelden van geluk. Geluk nastreven Geluk als doel stellen is eigenlijk per definitie al negatief. Mensen die geluk nastreven, eindigen in veel gevallen ongelukkiger. De verschillende methoden die in zelfhulpboeken vaak aangedragen worden zijn op zich zelf niet slecht.
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US psychologist Howard Gardner wins award in Spain for research into human intelligence
The Washington Post: Harvard University psychologist Howard Gardner has won Spain’s Prince of Asturias award for social sciences in recognition of his studies of how human intellect expresses itself in different kinds of skills. The prize was announced Wednesday by a foundation run by Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe. It said the American’s work has been “decisive for the evolution of educational models by taking into account the innate potentialities of each individual.” Read the whole story: The Washington Post
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Pursuing happiness can make you feel worse
Times of India: They say that happiness shouldn't be thought of as a universally good thing, and outline four ways in which this is the case. Indeed, not all types and degrees of happiness are equally good, and even pursuing happiness can make people feel worse. People who want to feel happier can choose from a multitude of books that tell them how to do it. But setting a goal of happiness can backfire, said June Gruber of Yale University, who co- wrote the article with Iris Mauss of the University of Denver and Maya Tamir of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It's one of the many downsides of happiness – people who strive for happiness may end up worse off than when they started.
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Men: how to play hard to get (and why it works)
MSN NZ: There is a common consensus that women who play hard to get tend to get what they want, because men can't resist the apple that stays — for a while at least — tantalisingly just out of reach. Happily, it works the other way round too. That's right, men can get results playing hard to get as well, though we'd probably call it something else. Maybe we'll feign indifference or keep her at arm's length, but it amounts to the same thing. Playing hard to get can be a devilish dating strategy. But not necessarily a simple one. There are pitfalls, and you certainly need to know when to stop. So here's how to play hard to get and, more importantly, why it works. Read the whole story: MSN NZ
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True Love May Wait—But Waiting Won’t Make You a Safer Lover Later On
Whether sex education focuses only on abstinence or teaches students about contraception and other topics as well, it all shares one main message: Wait. In abstinence-only, students are exhorted to wait for sex until they’re married. In “comprehensive” or “abstinence-plus,” the idea is to delay sexual relations until . . . later. “The underlying assumption is that delay reduces sexual risk-taking”—and with it unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, says University of South Florida psychologist Marina A. Bornovalova.
