History and memory are both records of the past. Yet they can differ significantly. Let’s see how. Everything in history is not in memory: Because [...]
We usually think of memory as a tool to remember the past. Actually however, the past is too vast to be remembered entirely or accurately. [...]
Life’s battles often expose our weaknesses. Accepting those weaknesses can make us feel unsafe, undermined and unworthy. Recoiling from such threatening feelings, we often try [...]
Many people worry constantly about world problems such as climate change or discrimination. While these are serious problems that require dedicated action, we need to [...]
Life is tough. People let us down. Things go downhill for no apparent reason. We ourselves make a mess of things, often against our better [...]
Suppose we wanted to walk somewhere, but somehow took several wrong turns and ended up far away from our destination. To get there, we will [...]
Suppose in a cricket match a batsman had a great opportunity to score on a loose delivery, but somehow they missed that opportunity. They would [...]
When some misfortune befalls us, our mind tends to keep replaying that misfortune, making us feel fearful, morose, helpless. Such negativity characterizes the mode of [...]
Our mind often fills us with fears about the future: “What if this goes wrong? What if that goes wrong?” Indeed, “What if?” is the [...]
Suppose we are going trekking with just a backpack. We will carefully decide what all to pack in it. If we fill it with novels [...]
Stress is rampant in today’s society. Why? One common explanation is over-work. But is over-work the only cause? At least three points suggest otherwise: Nowadays, [...]
Suppose we see someone pressing the brake of their car and also trying to drive the car ahead. We will consider their actions absurd. Sadly, [...]
Suppose an invading army infiltrates a defending army with a spy. And that spy disheartens the defending soldiers, telling them that their forces are too [...]
Suppose we are driving through an intersection. If at a previous intersection, someone had suddenly cut across us. Their actions might have annoyed us, but [...]
When infants are hungry, they just cry and expect others to come running to fulfill their need. However, when adults are hungry, they aren’t expected [...]
Life sometimes gives us a raw deal. Despite working hard, we get no breaks; instead, we find our dreams breaking down. While such situations are [...]
When somebody has hurt us grievously, we may decide to avoid them in future to protect ourselves from being hurt again. Even if they want [...]
Some people narrate stories with such animation and emotion that they completely captivate their audiences. While we may appreciate their storytelling expertise, we won’t assume [...]
Suppose we get physically wounded, but are immediately told to resume normal activities. We won’t be able to. A similar principle applies to emotional wounds [...]
Suppose while driving to a destination, we take some wrong turns and end up far away from our goal. We may feel irritated, and understandably [...]
In life, we need to anticipate the things that may go wrong and prepare for them, either by advance planning or on-the-feet thinking. Thus, in [...]
