As the mythology goes, Narcissus fell in love so much with his own reflection in a pool of water that he was unable to do anything else but admire himself. Eventually, he withered away and died staring at his reflection. Did Narcissus have excessively high self-esteem? Was that his main issue? Or was it something […]
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STUDY ALERT: Are Measures of Character and Personality Distinct?
Are Measures of Character and Personality Distinct? Robert E. McGrath, Ashley Hall-Simmonds, and Lewis R. Goldberg Two studies were conducted to investigate redundancy between the character strengths found in the VIA model of character and familiar personality facets. Study 1 used a community sample (N = 606) that completed a measure of character strengths, four […]
[Beautiful Minds] October 2017 Newsletter
[Subscribe to the free monthly Beautiful Minds Newsletter] Hi All, I’m a writer. There, I said it. Welcome to the October, 2017 Beautiful Minds Newsletter! Here’s some updates on creativity, well-being, and the mind from September. Enjoy! Books Twice Exceptional: Supporting and Educating Bright and Creative Students with Learning Difficulties by Scott Barry Kaufman — Now available for pre-order […]
There Is No One Way to Live a Good Life
I’d like to offer you two models of human development. The first is what you might call The Surrender Yourself model of development. According to this model, the lowest kind of happiness is having your basic food and health needs met. Then there is achievement– the pleasure we get from earned and recognized success. Then there is […]
STUDY ALERT: The Role of Passion and Persistence in Creativity
The Role of Passion and Persistence in Creativity Magdalena G. Grohman, Paul Silvia, Zorana Ivcevic, and Scott Barry Kaufman We examined the predictive power of 2 different conceptualizations of passion and persistence in relation to creative behavior. Specifically, we examined predictive power of the self-reported grit subscales (defined as a combination of passion/consistency of interests and perseverance) […]
I’m a writer. There, I said it.
I’m a writer. There, I said it. *** That’s the short of it. The longer version is that I decided to jump into the great abyss, and take a risk on a dream. I have been quietly working on a project that excites me so much, and means so much to me, that I decided […]
Beautiful Minds Newsletter [September, 2017]
[Subscribe to the free monthly Beautiful Minds Newsletter] Hi All, Welcome to the September, 2017 Beautiful Minds Newsletter! Here’s some updates on creativity, well-being, and the mind from August. Enjoy! Talks A New Theory of Human Intelligence | TEDxZumbroRiver My new TEDx talk on redefining intelligence, maximizing human potential, and appreciating twice-exceptional children, is up! Please share […]
Today I faced the past, and it set me completely free.
Something just happened to me that I need to process. So as I often do, I am writing to process. I was walking home on this beautiful, sunny day in Philadelphia (no, it’s not always sunny in Philadelphia, but it certainly was today). I was in such a great mood, feeling free, and alive, and […]
What Can Musicians Teach Us About Imagination?
What is the nature of music? What is imagination in music? What’s the role of intuition in music? What motivates musicians? What makes a great musical performance? What creates transcendence in music? What is the role of the audience? What are some recommended approaches for increasing creativity in music teachers and music students? These are […]
Beautiful Minds Newsletter [August, 2017]
[Subscribe to the free monthly Beautiful Minds Newsletter] Hi All, Welcome to the August, 2017 Beautiful Minds Newsletter! Here’s some updates on creativity, well-being, and the mind from July. Enjoy! Podcast Episodes Aging Meaningfully with Christina Pierpaoli Awakening Compassion in the Workplace with Jane Dutton and Monica Worline Strengths-Based Parenting with Lea Waters The Latest Science […]
The Science of Passionate Sex
Our culture is obsessed with sex. Everywhere you look is another article on how to have hot sex, harder erections, mind-bending orgasms, and ejaculations that go on for days. What people seldom realize, though– and which the latest science backs up– is that this is exactly the problem. There’s nothing wrong with desiring sex. I’m extremely sex positive. Rather, […]
STUDY ALERT: Physiological correlates and emotional specificity of human piloerection
Physiological correlates and emotional specificity of human piloerection Mathias Benedeka & Christian Kaernbachb Piloerection is known as an indicator of strong emotional experiences. However, little is known about the physiological and emotional specificity of this psychophysiological response. In the presented study, piloerection was elicited by audio stimuli taken from music and film episodes. The physiological response […]