Category Archives: Psychology

Dacher Keltner, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life

Posted on 7 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

This is a book about the subjective experience of awe, and how being aware of everyday examples of awe can make your life more meaningful and fulfilling; yet how (in my take) it’s about the emotion, triggered by both the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Psychology, Science, science fiction | Leave a comment

Suppression, Prejudice, and Misinformation

Posted on 2 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Three political topics for today. How the Republicans seek to suppress history, concepts, books, even words; Two problems that could be solved simultaneously (were it not for Republicans); How anti-vaxxers and anti-abortionists are searching for new senses of meaning.

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Leave a comment

Third Culture Books; Perceptions and Reality

Posted on 31 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s three topics: A new Michael Shermer book I missed when it came out last October; How magenta is a color that doesn’t exist on the spectrum; Public perceptions of the economy. There are authors I’ve followed for years, both … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Politics, Psychology | Leave a comment

A Crisp, Sunny January Day

Posted on 30 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Topics for today: Why China’s decline in population is a good thing; Yuval Noah Harari on identity; Moral panic and the right-wing mind; How climate change has been covered in textbooks since the 1970s.

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Alcohol and Civilization, and other recent items

Posted on 17 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How civilization might have been driven by the desire for alcohol; about the NYT interviewing Republicans; the perspective on conspiratorial thinking from an American living in Britain; paranoia and the GOP; DeSantis’ war on “wokeness”; Paul Waldman on 6 things … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Human Progress, Psychology | Comments Off on Alcohol and Civilization, and other recent items

Liberal and Conservative Humor

Posted on 21 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

With an endpiece about stars. Here’s an intriguing article, fairly long, that examines how the humor of liberals and conservatives differ. Since its core conclusions are consistent with so many other observations about the differences between liberals and conservatives — … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Psychology | Comments Off on Liberal and Conservative Humor

Half the Country

Posted on 9 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Quick post late in the day, mostly just copying a public Facebook post from Adam-Troy Castro, who writes novels (see pic above) but seems to be better known for his short fiction (see his sfadb.com page), and is apparently even … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Half the Country

Current Affairs, 8 Dec 2022

Posted on 8 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

How Christian morality plays out; the Respect for Marriage Act and the weeping Republican; the right’s sense of grievance; how the media is disconnected from reality; opposite opinions about the American defense budget.

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Psychology | Comments Off on Current Affairs, 8 Dec 2022

A Chilly December Evening

Posted on 1 December 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

Topics for today: A French take on Americans; How a Narcissist Knows Nothing. No photo from either of the two linked items here seemed appropriate, so here is tonight’s sunset. In the aftermath of a rainstorm that lasted from before … Continue reading →

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Reading: Ezra Klein and Pippa Norris

Posted on 6 November 2022 by Mark R. Kelly

The Ezra Klein Show is a free, semiweekly podcast by Ezra Klein, co-founder of Vox, and author of Why We’re Polarized (my review here), now podcaster and editorial writer for The New York Times, and an all-around very sharp guy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Psychology | Comments Off on Reading: Ezra Klein and Pippa Norris