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Irrational Optimism: ‘On Any Given Sunday’
I have been part of a family football pool for many years now. Every week, each of us predicts the winners for every NFL game, right through the playoffs, and everyone’s performance is posted in
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Nostalgia for young adulthood? Rethinking the ‘reminiscence bump’
Some years ago, I found myself sitting out a blinding snow storm in a diner on a rural Maryland highway. It was bitterly cold outside, so I ordered soup and coffee and sat on a
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So much to do! And so little time!
The Christmas season is a hectic time for many people. There are all those cards to write and mail, presents to buy and wrap and deliver, perhaps a tree to haul home and trim, plus
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Friends Share Personal Details to Strengthen Relationships in United States, but Not in Japan
In the United States, friends often share intimate details of their lives and problems. However, such self-disclosure is much less common in Japan. A new study by an American researcher living in Japan finds that
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Brandishing our inner talisman
Mexicans call it mal de ojo, and in Brazil it’s olho gordo. Turks call it the Eye of Medusa and ward it off with the ubiquitous talisman called nazar. American Jews use the Yiddish phrase
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Psychological Science Takes Off In Brazil
According to dictionaries, optimism is a willingness to face things on their bright side. Even more, it is a tendency to expect a favorable ending, even in clearly unfavorable situations. Some friends say I’m optimistic.
