Mindfulness is the prevailing self-help fad, designed to promote heightened, peaceful awareness through meditation and breathing exercises. It teaches us to manage stress by rethinking our circumstances. But worldwide, mindfulness has become simplified, despiritualized and Westernized. It is, in San Francisco State University (Calif.) Professor of Management Ronald Purser’s words, the $1.1 billion buzzword of [...]
Read MoreHow many times each day do you say, “How are you?” and how many times do you actually mean it? “How are you?” is the most useless phrase in the English lexicon. Its expected counterpart, “Fine, thanks, and you?” is no better. Ostensibly, it shows that in some way, someone cares about your well-being, but [...]
Read MoreConspiracy theories have always lurked in the background of U.S. political culture. Anyone with an imagination can come up with one. But our increasingly toxic political climate and the accompanying avalanche of conspiracy theories have exacerbated existing conflicts, leading to further polarization of our society like never before. At the same time, conspiracy theories are [...]
Read MoreI am addicted to three things: coffee, water and chocolate. Quite literally, chocolate gets me through the day. It makes studying bearable, relieves stress and makes me happy. Unprocessed, darker chocolates deserve a place in the diets our society considers healthy. Adding chocolate to your lifestyle is neither about appealing to the masses nor about [...]
Read MoreModern society suffers from rampant “educationism.” Coined in a 2018 Journal of Experimental Social Psychology report, the term describes educated people’s implicit bias against those less educated. Educationism disadvantages both low-income and less educated individuals and preserves structural inequality. Consequently, our relative unawareness of educationism prevents everyone from connecting with others from diverse backgrounds and [...]
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