Positive Illusions: Brad Pitt or Danny DeVito?
keywords:
body / brad pitt / love / positive illusions
Positive Illusions: Brad Pitt or Danny DeVito?
Imagine a colleague of yours, Mary, comes to the office one day and starts talking about this guy John whom she met in a bar. Supposedly, this guy is not only handsome, but also super smart, extremely witty, and God knows what else. So, obviously, you cannot wait to see this stud. When you – finally - meet this Brad Pitt look-alike, Brad Pitt seems to have been turned into Danny DeVito: all you get to see is this balding... / more
Brain Training: Practice Keeps You Fit
keywords:
brian training / cognition / neuroscience / practice / sudoku
Brain Training: Practice Keeps You Fit
Commercials on the importance of training your brain are nearly a daily occurrence nowadays. A world without Sudoku has almost become unthinkable. Not only puzzles like these, but also numerous specific internet exercise-sites and try-at-home packages are devoted to this phenomenon. This merchandise is usually accompanied by slogans saying something like: "improve cognitive ability and prevent the negative outcome of the aging brain". Just as physical exercise improves the shape of your body muscles, cognitive exercise should keep your brain... / more
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
keywords:
Buddhsim / development / morality / norms / Singapore
Same Same? Moral Development across Continents
My first extended stay in Southeast Asia in Singapore nearly five years ago served as a true eye opener. Yes, I was fully aware that I was about to enter a country that was different from what I had known so far. I was eager and curious to learn and broaden my horizons to whatever might come. However, the first days were rather disappointing: nothing much different from what I knew. Sometimes it was hard to comprehend 'Singlish' (as Singaporean... / more
Implementing New Year’s Resolutions
keywords:
anxiety / Goals / motivation / New Year resolutions
Implementing New Year’s Resolutions
Each New Year has something magical about it. At the first of January a brand new year lies ahead of us, it is always a bit like “starting all over”. Almost everybody has made their New Year resolutions, planning to do everything this new year better than in the previous years. This time, we promised ourselves to quit smoking or nail biting, to lose weight, to finally start the renovation of our bathroom, to visit our family more often, etc. Funny enough, the plans we make are quite similar to the plans we made the years before. This is because at New Year’s Eve we realize that we did not manage to reach all the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. / more
High Maintenance Interaction
keywords:
exam / interaction / nerd / procrastinate / studying
High Maintenance Interaction
Throughout my academic career, I've come across a variety of nerve-racking pre-exam moments. I remember vividly the various ways my classmates and I handled the last minutes before our final examinations: while some tried to relax and laugh away the tension, others studied until the last second, driving everyone crazy with stressed-out questioning. I'd have to admit to always being part of that latter group. My strategy was to harass the biggest nerd on the subject with all of my uncertainties and loads of questions. I always needed to find answers, but since the matter was crystal-clear to the poor guy I was stalking and he didn't understand any of my vaguely formulated questions, I only got more frustrated and insecure. / more