We’re Hard-Wired to Crave Nature
Too little green in your life? You’re not alone. Science reveals why we need to spend time in nature. Read More
Articles by Sharon Begley
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Focus & Attention
How Mindfulness Shifts Our Perception of Time
The passage of time seems to speed up as we get older—but research finds this unnerving phenomenon may be allayed by learning to more attentively savor all the familiar details of our lives. Read More
Loving-Kindness & Compassion
Empathy Fatigue is All Too Real
Feeling empathy for others’ pain is innately human, but it can be stretched too thin. Here’s why we get numbed to horrific events—and how to preserve our tenderness and our desire to help. Read More
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Good News: Our Emotions Aren’t Set In Stone
Emotions are changeable and culturally constructed—which means we get to choose how we feel about how we feel. Read More
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How Much Self-Knowledge is Too Much?
Sharon Begley explores the science of self-insight and the research on how much you should know about yourself before it becomes detrimental to your health. Read More
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The Science of the Bystander Effect
Writer Sharon Begley explores the research on why decent people will watch someone in trouble, possibly even film it, rather than step up to help. Read More
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How Our Minds Tell Fact from “Fake News”
In a world of “alternative facts” and identity hackers, science writer Sharon Begley explores the science of how our minds determine if something is true. Read More
Mindfulness For
How to Deal with Toxic Competition
Our competitive nature becomes toxic when we’re motivated by others’ success, rather than our own self-mastery. Read More
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The Research On White Privilege Blindness
Seeing the Truth of Inequality: We all want to believe that we’ve earned what we have, but true equality begins when we’re willing to see how the circumstances of our birth have helped us along. Read More
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What the Brains of Selfless People Teach Us About Empathy
Why do some people put their lives at risk for the sake of strangers? Research is revealing the limits of empathy and uncovering the traits that lead to extreme altruism. Read More
