In my college course on the science of well-being, I devote at least three classes to what psychologists have learned about nourishing healthy relationships. Ask school children who their friends are and many list last names close to them in the alphabet. Why? Because most friendships are determined by seating...

Some people think that scientists research their unresolved personal issues. Well, I study rejection and social anxiety, and like everyone else on the planet, I have experienced my share of both.

My first kiss was at age 7 with an older cousin. In the garage, she casually played rocket man...

Since the embarrassment is long gone, let me tell you something about myself ...

As an adult, I never read a book for pleasure until the summer before my senior year of college. Resting shirtless on the roof of my house, I starting reading "The Scientist" by John...

As a kid, I grew up in an area on Long Island where the bodega across the street was off-limits, too dangerous for travel. My 6-year-old rebellious mind didn't crave midnight motorcycle rides while swigging a bottle of jagermeister. Standing across the street with my twin brother, I could smell...

For three straight months, with the kids asleep, my wife and I snuck downstairs to watch at least one episode of "Six Feet Under." From 2001-2005, "Six Feet Under" was the first show to delve into the muddy, painful issues surrounding death. In the very first scene of the pilot,...

A decade ago, my wife worked as a research assistant for a researcher studying obesity. The research team met once a week to brainstorm ideas. They were planning a study to test the urban myth that the average college student puts on 15 pounds during their first year away from...

After a long bout of cancer, my mother died on Thanksgiving in 1987. I had just turned 13 years old. I don't recall many details before or during this time period. I remember being brought to the hospital only to be told that my mother refused to see me; she...

Living with your grandmother is a recipe for miscommunication. On a random Tuesday, when I was 15, a plan was being hatched to meet up with a few friends at the local 7-11 convenience store to eat a few hot dogs. Unbeknownst to me, my grandma was outside my room...

Asked what is the fundamental objective of life, the vast majority of people answer quickly and definitively -- happiness. Their lives are organized around trying to be happy. Sounds good, right? Sounds even better when you read about the scientific benefits linked to happiness. Compared to less happy people...

• Happy...

When I give seminars at colleges and corporations, I ask if anyone is living a life without regrets. If so, I ask them to raise their hand. More than 8 out of 10 people look me in the eye and with great pride, shoot their hands into the air. 80%...

There has been debate about the future of religion. I, for one, believe that religion is going to last for quite a long time. Despite scientific facts and philosophical arguments against the idea of an omnipotent and omniscient creator -- including undeniable evidence for Darwin's evolution theory -- and ridicule,...

Science cannot "prove" anything. The word "proven" is a clear sign that you are no longer in the province of science, rather you are in the province of people with an agenda. Be wary! But we can find evidence strongly in favor of one idea compared with another. The idea...

Journalists are getting excited about the same talking points concerning Elena Kagan. What would it mean for society to have a trifecta of women on the Supreme Court? Is it good, bad, or relatively irrelevant that Kagan only argued six cases in front of the Supreme Court? Should fashionable Americans...

Let me know if this comes close to describing police officers in your neighborhood:

Idle on the side of the road is a lone police officer with a laser gun pointing to an endless parade of cars. Their task is simple. Look at the gun and determine if someone is...

When we hear gossip that our next door neighbor has been bringing home prostitutes and burying them in the backyard, we don't rush to conclusions. Instead, we carefully collect and evaluate the evidence before reaching a conclusion. Right?

Billions of hours and government dollars have been devoted to protecting the...

Did you know there is only one single characteristic that separates extremely happy people from "merely" happy people? They aren't more grateful, kind, or compassionate. They aren't more energized when they wake up in the morning (drinking the same amount of coffee as the rest of us). Rather, they possess...

No single person is qualified for any major government position. Consider Homeland Security. Who happens to be an expert in global politics, terrorism, immigration, computer viruses, culture and religion, modern weaponry, anxiety management, health communication, and conflict resolution (just to name a few)? Don't misunderstand me. I am not criticizing...

Just to be clear from the onset, I must confess a preference for underdogs. I love to watch nervous audience members stump distinguished scientists with tough questions. When I watch the Olympics, I secretly root for discus throwers from Lithuania and tennis players from Togo. Thus, on February 13th, a...

Monthly magazines from Reader's Digest to Cosmopolitan are inundated with tips on how to sleep better, find happiness, and weave seriously sexy hair. Taking nothing away from being happy and blowing your romantic partner's mind on valentine's day, there are few things as valuable as staying alive.

Sometimes we...

In the next few days, expect a heap of news articles and talking heads blathering about the State of the Union. What's fascinating is how so many people interpret the same event differently (each through his or her own prism of values and beliefs). It's one of the benefits of...