A new study suggests that mismatched thankfulness is bad for relationships. Imagine that you’ve embarked on a quest to be more grateful. You dutifully journal about the happy events in your day, training your mind to see the positives. You notice and begin to appreciate all the little things your partner does for you, from … Read more
Here are six things you can do in your relationships to support your growth. Every week, my wife and I have a meeting where we talk about what is going well in our family, but also what we could be doing better. She knows when I am giving less than my best, and she calls … Read more
Researchers discovered an important factor that influences how contagious emotions are. In a new study, Stanford psychologists examined why some people respond differently to an upsetting situation and learned that people’s motivations play an important role in how they react. Their study found that when a person wanted to stay calm, they remained relatively unfazed … Read more
A new study finds that more prosocial people are less aggressive in competition—but they tend to win out in the long run. Looking back at the financial collapse of 2008, I often wonder: How could investors have been so greedy? It seems as if they were so bent on “winning” that they made pretty dumb … Read more
“I’m sorry.” Those two little words can be so hard to say. Research reveals why we struggle to apologize. Apologies are the Brussels sprouts of relationships. Research says they’re good for us, and, like a dinner of the green stuff after a lunch of burger and fries, they can erase or at least mitigate the … Read more
By recognizing our blind spots, we can reduce the chances that we will cheat or be cheated on in our romantic relationships. When I was in my mid 20s I fell madly, deeply in love on a backpacking trip through Europe. We started a long-distance relationship between Vancouver, Canada, and Hamburg, Germany, and I didn’t … Read more
Through paying attention we learn that we are in a vibrant, enriching relationship with everyone around us. A friend once told me about repeated fights he had with his wife early on in their marriage. Much of their conflict centered on how to have dinner. He liked to eat hurriedly, standing up in the kitchen, … Read more
New research highlights how sleep benefits our social lives. I’m a sleep lover. I like going to bed at the same time every night and getting a full night’s sleep. Deprive me of just one hour of blessed sleep, and things quickly go downhill—just ask my husband. I become bad company—snarky and irritable, hardly able … Read more
When we develop lazy love habits our deepest relationships suffer. Explore these three steps for awakening passion in your life. Falling in love is easy. You chase those glorious falling-in-love feelings as hard as you can, and when you catch them, you clamp down like your life depends on it. You have excitement, focus, and … Read more
Sternberg’s Triangular Theory and the 7 Types of Love Love is essential to our well-being. Though most have experienced it in their lives, they would have differing responses when asked to define love. Few researchers have put forth a viable theory on the concept of love. The triangular theory of love, developed in the late … Read more
