An open-access digital library of research-based information and reflections on psychology, wellness, and culture

Category: Psychology

  • Making Small Mistakes May Make People Like You More
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    Making Small Mistakes May Make People Like You More

    Have you watched your secret-admiring person spill their coffee and found you just loved them even more? Not because of schadenfreude, of course (hopefully). But they suddenly feel more like a real human than fitting into some ideal. Is It True or Just Illusional? You’re not imagining this; it’s actually a well-documented phenomenon. In 1966,…

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  • The Popular Myth about Dislikes and Insecurities
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    The Popular Myth about Dislikes and Insecurities

    There’s a particular kind of deflection that often shows up in conversations: the idea that any criticism or dislike directed at someone is really just projection. You don’t like me because you’re insecure. People who dislike you are just jealous. It’s a quick diagnosis and accusation—how convenient. But does it actually make sense? Do They…

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  • An Easy Way to Make Someone Like You: Ask Them to Do You a Favor
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    An Easy Way to Make Someone Like You: Ask Them to Do You a Favor

    Most of us were taught that the way to make someone like you is to do a favor for them. So we offer help with kindness and friendliness. It seems to be more intuitive. But there’s a more effective move: asking them to do you a small favor. Not the other way around. Not a…

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  • Choosing Yourself: No One Deserves Your Sacrifice of Authentic Self
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    Choosing Yourself: No One Deserves Your Sacrifice of Authentic Self

    For starters, this is for those who were taught to suppress themselves. People-pleasing is not the same as acceptance. We try to stay in a dysfunctional relationship, usually because those conflicts remind us too much of the chaos, neglect, or punishment we grew up with. So we now have learned to avoid them by abandoning…

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  • Write Yourself a Redemptive Story Proven to Improve Well-Being
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    Write Yourself a Redemptive Story Proven to Improve Well-Being

    Many of us love movies in which protagonists rise above adversity to discover their authentic selves, inner strength, and purpose. After many ups and downs, they look back on their journeys and shape them into narratives. The storytelling ends with orchestral music and long shots. Then the credits roll, and we, as the audience, are…

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