Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
Sharing happiness online is highly contagious
We at The Optimist are all about positive stories. And several recent studies suggest we are in line with most people's wants: feeling and being happy. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found out that positive articles are shared more often than negative ones. Similar studies had Read More...
Canadians are crowdsourcing Justin Trudeau's government
Last Monday night the Liberals rode a "real change" agenda to victory. By Tuesday morning, Canadians took to the web to speak to their new prime minister. Twenty-three new petitions for him, on day one.Life in the public square is playing itself out online, only the Internet has made the square Read More...
Refugee athletes allowed to compete at the 2016 Rio Games under Olympic flag
For the first time, refugee athletes will be allowed to compete in the Olympics. In a time when tensions in Europe rise with the influx of more and more refugees, this is a warm signal. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach announced this week that at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Read More...
How mindfulness improves sleep
From the pressures of tight deadlines to anxiety about job security, the stresses of the workplace take their toll far beyond the office, infiltrating our relationships, undermining our thoughts—and often affecting our ability to sleep. In fact, a recent survey found that 85 percent of U.S. Read More...
Adam Smith’s underappreciated wisdom on benevolence, happiness, and kindness
Brain Pickings remains free (and ad-free) and takes me hundreds of hours a month to research and write, and thousands of dollars to sustain. If you find any joy and value in what I do, please consider becoming a Member and supporting with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup Read More...
7 things science says about how you can grow smarter
I like to think I'm a pretty smart guy--but we all do stupid things sometimes. For example, I graduated near the top of my law school class, but I sometimes question how smart it was to go to law school in the first place. And, I'm reminded of the hour or so I spent not long ago searching for my Read More...
Eye-scanning ATMs could secure your money better
A new technology could eliminate the sometimes nervy process of withdrawing money from the ATM. Citigroup has begun testing its own kind of money machine that has no screen or PIN pad, and that allows customers to withdraw money by scanning their eyes. First, customers would use the bank’s mobile Read More...
How to approach life mindfully, according to Sherlock Holmes
Peter Bevelin’s first book, Seeking Wisdom from Darwin to Munger, is a one of the best books you’ve never heard of. He’s just released another book, A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes (Kindle), aimed at those who want to improve their thinking. I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, and Peter is Read More...
5 scientific ways to make yourself smarter
About a decade ago, some early scientific research suggested that playing memory games could increase "fluid intelligence," which is--the capacity to solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge. A spate of apps, books and classes resulted, all claiming to make people Read More...
4 daily habits that lead to success
Can making your bed in the morning and keeping a to-do list get you closer to the life you want to lead? Sociologist Dr. Randall Bell, author of the upcoming book Rich Habits Rich Life: The Four Cornerstones of All Great Pursuits, says yes. Bell argues that there’s a direct link between daily Read More...