In a teaser video for her third album, “Radical Optimism,” Dua Lipa explained that every track has that “through the struggle you are going to make it” optimistic feeling. She has also sa...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_radical_optimism_help_you_deal_with_hard_times
I like to warn people who don’t know me well that I can be a bit of a crier. I often cry over sad movies, shedding big tears with abandon, as well as obviously sad events like funerals. But the...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_its_good_for_you_to_cry
Since European expansion into the Americas, white people have demonized Black people and portrayed them as undesirable, violent, and hypersexual. Originally, the intent of this demonization was t...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_to_help_heal_racial_trauma
Consider the random road that led to you reading this article. At some point, someone introduced you to Greater Good magazine. Perhaps you received an email or saw a post on someone’s social me...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_luck_and_chance_shape_your_life
In the modern world, we’ve become out of touch with the “creative and innovative genius that we are wired for,” according to Emma Seppälä, psychologist and author of Sovereign: Reclaim Yo...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/are_your_habits_and_beliefs_self_destructive
Twenty years ago, I helped to lead a major college protest responding to a series of hate crimes and hate-related incidents at my undergraduate alma mater. Thousands of students participated, and...
Why are activists, who are so passionate about their social justice work, so often burned out by those very causes? We don’t often think about activism as a form of labor, but it is. Research o...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_self_compassion_can_help_activists_avoid_burnout
By the time you have finished reading this article, at least one species on our planet will be lost forever. Humans rely on a wide range of animals, plants, and microorganisms for healthy living ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_biodiversity_is_good_for_your_mental_health
Imagine a world where people see each other across political differences with curiosity and respect, one where we genuinely want to work toward outcomes that serve everyone’s interests and need...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/Skill_That_Can_Help_Students_Bridge_Political_Divides
Are there things that you do in certain settings, at particular times, that evoke a feeling and remind you of what is important? When I step up to bat in softball, I tap the bat twice just past t...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_everyday_rituals_can_add_meaning_to_your_life
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has split the country into joyous supporters and furious dissenters. Emotions are running high, and some protests have turned violent. Yet r...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_talking_about_abortion_can_help_opposing_sides
Our monthly Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. This month, we hope it helps you slow down and simplify. To open the clickable calendar, click on the image below. (Please note...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/your_happiness_calendar_for_may_2024
Our monthly Happiness Calendar for Educators is a day-by-day guide to building kinder, happier schools where everyone belongs. This month, find more moments of play and connection each day in May...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/happiness_calendar_for_educators_for_may_2024
When Ellen Galinsky was trying to come up with a title for her massive research project and book about adolescence, The Breakthrough Years seemed fitting. After all, adolescence is a true “brea...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_things_teens_wish_you_knew_about_them
By nearly all measures, my first son was an easy kid. Whereas most young children are walking, raging ids, Augie was sweet, composed, and strategic. He didn’t have tantrums, and put little effo...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_parenting_make_you_a_better_person
“Cancel culture” has a bad reputation. There is growing anxiety over this practice of publicly shaming people online for violating social norms ranging from inappropriate jokes to controversi...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_there_anything_useful_about_cancel_culture
Fairness is an important value among many of us. That’s why we want to make sure sports competitions are free of unfair advantages (like steroid use), students can’t plagiarize when writing p...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/are_merit_based_systems_actually_fair
Every so often, we have the rare fortune to experience transformational moments that change how we see ourselves and the world around us. This was the case for me in early 2023. The Caribbean i...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_awe_help_students_cope_with_climate_change
Divorce is having a moment—for women. For example: Actor Drew Barrymore, who recently divorced for the third time, shared on her talk show that divorce is liberating. I had so much shame around...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/when_is_divorce_good_for_women
Eli Torres experienced no problems with acceptance from his family when he came out as a lesbian, first in the third grade and then again in the seventh grade. However, it was a different story w...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_do_we_foster_support_for_queer_latinos
Imagine you’re coming home from work at the end of a long day. You feel tired and distracted, and you might be looking forward to an evening of relaxing on the couch—but you also know you nee...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_often_do_couples_express_compassion_to_each_other
For the first time, the United States has been classified as a “backsliding democracy” in a global assessment of democratic societies by the International Institute for Democracy and Electora...
Loneliness is on the rise around the world, with almost a quarter of people aged 15 or older reporting being very or fairly lonely. This is disturbing news, as loneliness has been tied to all kin...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_middle_aged_americans_so_lonely
What am I going to do with my life? What really matters to me? How will I leave my mark? These questions can fill us with hope, inspiration, and direction when we have some sense of what the answ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_patience_can_help_you_find_your_purpose
Even as suicide rates around the world have been dropping in recent years, they have been rising for at least one demographic group, both inside and outside of the United States: Pacific Islander...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_pacific_islanders_view_therapy_and_why_it_matters
The headlines are everywhere: Americans have fewer close friends and spend more time online. Men, in particular, are suffering the consequences of not feeling seen and connected; many lack relati...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_lessons_on_neighborliness_cohousing
Thirteen year-old Alita told me she knew there was something wrong with her—something that made her “less than.” She felt that, somehow, she was “marked” and deeply unacceptable—even ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_self_compassion_help_teens_with_depression
In 2014, Tau Kappa Epsilon at Arizona State University threw a controversial Martin Luther King Jr. Day party—where students served watermelon, wore oversized basketball jerseys, flashed gang s...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_is_it_hard_to_speak_up_for_racial_justice
Imagine: It’s Monday morning and your alarm goes off. You hit snooze three times, desperate to extend the weekend. Finally, you open your eyes and, when you get up, you feel as though you’re ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/self_care_cant_fix_employee_burnout
All people have a basic need to be loved and cared for. But more and more Americans are living alone, according to the U.S. Census—often not by choice—and that’s creating a loneliness epide...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_you_have_a_committed_partnership_with_a_friend
Our monthly Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. This month, we hope it helps you play and find joy. To open the clickable calendar, click on the image below. (Please note: If ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/your_happiness_calendar_for_april_2024
Our monthly Happiness Calendar for Educators is a day-by-day guide to building kinder, happier schools where everyone belongs. This month, learn about the science of self-compassion each day in A...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/happiness_calendar_for_educators_for_april_2024
When Mayra Barragan-O’Brien was 14 years old, she and her mother were smuggled across the U.S.-Mexican border in a truck. What she remembers most about the 1,300-mile journey from Guadalajara w...
What is sympathetic joy? Imagine how a loving parent feels seeing their child giggle in playful delight, or rock their spotlight in the school play. Sympathetic joy is about feeling uplifted, con...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/who_finds_joy_in_other_peoples_joy
All of us face conflicts with others at some point in our lives. Whether with loved ones, work colleagues, or our larger communities, those conflicts can take a toll on our relationships and well...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/three_steps_to_resolving_big_conflicts
Many years ago, I was caught in particularly strong mental rumination as I agonized over a decision to put my son on a potentially toxic medication for a non-threatening but significant medical c...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/three_ways_to_navigate_difficult_emotions
I have been researching the psychology of conspiracy beliefs for seven years now and people often ask me why people believe in them. This is not a simple question. There are many reasons people m...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_benefits_and_drawbacks_of_intuitive_thinking
How does age affect your happiness? Many psychologists have explored questions like whether the midlife crisis is real and if our brains shift toward positivity as we age. This year’s World Hap...
People often extol the virtue of open-mindedness, but can there be too much of a good thing? As a college dean, I regularly observe campus controversies about the Israel-Hamas war, race relations...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/are_some_ideas_just_not_worth_debating
It is an important part of a democracy for citizens to be critical thinkers who question the status quo. Do we want to live in a world where youth passively accept media propaganda, submit to dic...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_help_students_think_about_justice
There’s a funny thing that happens when people fall in love: We sometimes end up in relationships that might challenge what society believes a “real” relationship looks like. Take, for exam...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/should_you_date_across_big_age_differences
A new study from Stanford University, published January in Patient Education and Counseling, evaluates the effectiveness of patient mindset training on provider learning and behavior. Past resear...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_your_doctor_can_influence_your_health_mindset
In the United States, political polarization seems to be at an all-time high these days. Some Americans even have trouble seeing political opponents as human beings, worthy of care and concern. T...
Many American youth have experiences in foster care, with three in every 1,000 young people having some experience with the system. For everyone else, perceptions about foster care come mainly th...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_accurate_are_media_portrayals_of_foster_families
Life is uncertain. We never know what will happen, and many things are unknowable. This can make us feel stressed or worried, since the unknown is associated with danger. But as journalist Maggie...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_embracing_uncertainty_can_improve_your_life
Methods commonly used to measure poverty can lead to vastly different conclusions about who actually lives in poverty, according to a new Stanford University–led study. Based on household surve...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_our_definition_of_poverty_matters
Every year, we at Greater Good give “Greater Goodies” to films that highlight human strengths and virtues. The past year in movies was dominated by two of them: Barbie (which makes our list) ...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/twelve_movies_that_help_us_see_the_best_in_humanity
Science finds that one key to satisfaction in a relationship is feeling understood and supported. But in these uncertain times, when many of us are facing a lot of individual stress and anxiety, ...
On a recent morning, I had the chance to read poems my ninth-grade English students had written about encounters with racism. I was struck by the beauty and poignance of many of their lines. Yet ...
Our monthly Happiness Calendar is a day-by-day guide to well-being. This month, we hope it helps you be a force for good. To open the clickable calendar, click on the image below. (Please note: I...
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/your_happiness_calendar_for_march_2024