At a time when health professionals are warning the public about the effects of loneliness and isolation, can Artificial Intelligence help? The author of this article sees limits to technology’s ability to promote human connection and fulfillment.
Category Archives: Ourselves and Others
The writers who reached out across the divide
How can sharing experiences reduce conflict? Read this article to find out how two writers reached out and made a connection despite deep cultural divisions.
Finding common ground with anyone: A quick and easy guide
Click here for a helpful guide on finding common ground with others.
How Hair Discrimination Affects Black Women at Work
A recent study showed that in the workplace, Black women’s hairstyles are more likely to be perceived as unprofessional. This article suggests a few ways to address hair bias and discrimination.
What happens in the brain when you learn a language?
One great way to expand your worldview is to learn a new language. It turns out that the benefits of doing so reach far beyond simply being able to communicate with more people.
An 85-year Harvard study found the No. 1 thing that makes us happy in life: It helps us ‘live longer’
Researchers found that having positive relationships with the people in our lives is a key contributing factor to our overall health and happiness. Click here to learn more.
Citizen future: Why we need a new story of self and society
The authors of this article recommend major changes in the way we think about the individual and society.
‘I’m a Friendship Expert, This Is How Many Friends You Need’
What’s the best number of friends for a person to have? Click this link to hear from a professor whose research explores this very question.
The History of the American Flag
Learn fun facts about the symbol that represents all Americans, regardless of background or politics.
Americans Are Getting Better at Cooperating With Strangers
Click this link to learn more about a recent study that suggests Americans have become more willing to cooperate with strangers over the past several decades.
Creating Common Ground in Tense, Difficult Situations
It can be hard to find common ground in a tense situation. Click here to read an interview with Chicago’s Superintendent of Police David Brown, who urges Americans involved in conflicts to really listen to each other, see past their differences, and work together in a spirit of collaboration.
How Watching a Good Deed Elevates and Inspires
You might do a good deed for someone else just because it’s the right thing to do. Research shows, though, that you’re more likely to do that good deed if you’ve recently seen someone else do a good deed. This article discusses the infectiousness of altruism.
How Conformity Can Be Good and Bad for Society
Is it best to conform to the rules and expectations of a society, or should people do what they think is best, even it it makes them stick out from the herd? Click here to dig deeper into this question.
Attacks against Asian Americans are on the rise. Here’s what you can do
In recent months, there’s been an increase in violence against Asian Americans. One way you can help is by speaking out against violence and racism. Click this link to find out other ways to help.
How do children choose a best friend?
How important is it to have a best friend? This article explains the health benefits of having close relationships with others. It also points out some interesting differences in cultural expectations related to friendship.
Searching for Common Ground in Angry Times
In this article, two authors explain how polarization in American society can be a major roadblock to productive, civil discussions about difficult issues.
Our choices may be making us more individualistic
Whether it’s picking out a box of cereal from the grocery aisle or deciding which sources to get our information from, we make all kinds of choices every day. This article suggests that having all these choices may ultimately have a negative impact on society.
‘Going with the Crowd’ Causes Us to Make the Wrong Choices
While it’s often important to get along with others, we sometimes follow the crowd at the expense of common sense.
The Pandemic Has Shaken Students’ Sense of Themselves
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected young people and their sense of how they fit into society?
What We Owe Each Other
A social contract is an implied agreement among the people of a society about the rules that define their government. The author of this piece believes it’s time to establish new social contracts to replace systems that aren’t working well anymore.