Why haters hate the way they hate

All of us have been on the receiving end of hatred at some point in our lives. No matter how nice you think you are, I’m sure you’ve got some haters too- haters that you know of and haters that you don’t know of, at least not yet. In this article, we explore the psychology of haters. Hatred and psychological pain …

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Why do couples call each other honey?

Why do couples call each other honey or sugar or sweetie? Why do your friends ask for a ‘treat’ when you announce a piece of good news about yourself? More generally, why do people celebrate the way they celebrate? Why do diverse people of diverse cultures around the world eat sweets, chocolates, and other delicacies when …

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Ego gratification (and other psychological needs)

The way to figure people out is by figuring out their core psychological needs. Needs may be general or individual. For instance, the need for survival is a general human need but it tells you nothing of value about a person’s unique psychological make-up. On the other hand, individual needs that are shaped by a person’s past experiences tell you a …

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Gregory House character analysis (from House MD)

In this article, I’ll do a little character analysis of Gregory House, a character from a popular TV show called House MD. House MD is a TV series about an antisocial, unorthodox doctor who’s a brilliant diagnostician and has masterly people reading skills. The series is very well written and has incredible Mark Twain-esque and …

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How to not care what others think

Is it really possible to not care what others think of you? Many people claim they are free from caring what others think and approval-seeking but are they really? First of all, there’s a very important point that I want to draw your attention to. As a general rule, we only think and talk about …

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The Zeigarnik effect in psychology

The Zeigarnik effect states that we have a tendency to remember unfinished tasks. It is named after the psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik who, in the late 1920s, discovered that waiters had a tendency to remember un-served orders. She also observed that as soon as the orders were served, the waiters seemed to completely forget about them. The …

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Mistaking a stranger for someone you know

Ever had that experience where you see a friend on the street and walk up to greet them, only to realize that they’re a complete stranger? Ever mistaken a total stranger for your crush or lover? What’s funny is that sometimes you realize they’re a stranger after you’ve greeted them and they’ve greeted you back. Even funnier is when …

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How to reduce cognitive dissonance

Simply put, cognitive dissonance is the inability of the human mind to hold two conflicting ideas or beliefs. The confusion and uncertainty caused by the presence of two conflicting ideas make the mind unstable. Since our mind constantly seeks stability, it does what it can to reduce cognitive dissonance. A cognitively dissonant state of mind …

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How to understand someone’s personality

No two people on the planet have the same set of personality traits, not even identical twins who were apparently brought up in ‘identical’ circumstances or have similar genes. What then makes each of us so unique? Why is it that you have a personality that is distinct from the personality of everyone else? The answer …

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How to get rid of bad mood

Bad moods feel so bad you want to get rid of them as soon as you get them. They seem to come out of nowhere, mess with our lives and then leave at their own whim. Just when we begin to think we’re finally free from their clutches, they visit us again, as if to ensure …

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