We all lie. But big, dehumanizing lies are destabilizing society. So why do powerful people spew such BS? And why do people believe them? — “One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.” — The late American philosopher Harry Frankfurt Everybody lies. Let’s be honest about that right up front. You, me, the fence post, and of course politicians and their lawyers and other enablers. White lies…

We tend to underestimate serious risks and let minor threats loom ridiculously large — If you fear dying in a plane crash, a shark attack, a bombing or a violent home invasion — or some other statistically unlikely event — join the crowd. People all over the world harbor irrational or at least outsized fears over numerous ways of departing this world that are…

Depression is highly treatable. So why are rates soaring, particularly among young people? We need to acknowledge the scope of the problem, shake the stigma, and embrace solutions known to work, experts say. — This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression. After suffering a stroke last year, US Senator John Fetterman, a man who’d long seemed sad to those around him, plunged into deep depression. In the pit of his despair, he lost the motivation…

The case for a maxim that fosters productivity, sanity and outright enjoyment of life — My late father worked as hard as anyone I know throughout his 85 years on this planet. As a small-business owner, self-taught engineer and hands-on builder of his own manufacturing equipment, he put in long hours and worked weekends when needed, while somehow spending a crazy amount of time racing…

Groan-worthy crossword puzzles presented as a prescription for moderate joy and amusement — Your first clue: Avoid the following chatter and scroll down for the list of arguably immature crosswords you can solve. — Rob As a journalist and author, I’m always crossing up my words, playing around with them, nitpicking to get them just right. So I figured hey, might as well…

And what you can learn from their strategies to improve your sleep — Scientists who study sleep and its challenges are no different from you and me when it comes to successful slumber. Some sleep well, some not so great, and they all have bad nights now and then. One advantage they share, however, is an intimate knowledge of how to fall asleep…

Science-backed strategies for enduring and even enjoying the season — “I have one those families who speak at the start of dinner for what we have to be thankful. ‘I’m thankful Aunt Gladys is no longer with us.’ And it starts going downhill from there.” — Medium member David Weldy commenting on Before Thanksgiving Turns Ugly by Kathleen Murphy This…

Plus: A strategy for dealing with it all amid the stress of the holidays — War, inflation and other national and world affairs top the list of worries for the average American today, followed by fear of respiratory infections like covid-19, the flu and RSV. Amid all that hovers the usual angst of the holiday season. While most of us don’t have much control over…

Turn mundane writing into music to reader’s eyes — We writers write a lot of long, smooth, complete sentences, into which we seek to pack a tremendous amount of information — perhaps even some entertainment — through a fine understanding of grammar, a clever application of punctuation, and a balance of precision and economy, all resulting in an overall…