Shortform Books

Norms of Society: It All Depends on the Situation

What are the two main norms of society? Why is it damaging to introduce market norms in a friendship? How is it beneficial to introduce social norms in the workplace? There are two main norms of society: social norms and market norms. Social norms are requests made by friends or family, and market norms are transactional obligations. Mixing the two societal norms can have unexpected outcomes. Keep reading for more information about the norms of society.

Is Immortality Possible? Theoretically, Yes!

Is immortality possible? Do you think eradicating death is a feasible medical goal or a hopeless pipe dream? Historically, people embraced death as a part of the deal because immortality was not even conceived as a possibility. However, as medical advances continue, scientists suggest that immortality is likely possible. Keep reading for the answer to the question: is immortality possible?

Tennis Psychology: Playing “The Inner Game” in Life

What is tennis psychology? How does it help you on and off the court? Tennis psychology refers to the idea that your mental game of tennis can help you in life as well. You can learn to be less judgmental about yourself, and learn how to stay focused without being stressed. Read more about tennis psychology and how it works.

The Emotional Range: Why Some People Feel Happier

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to get much happier or much more down than others? Do all people feel emotions the same way? How can we work to stay on the happy end of the emotional range? A person’s emotional range is called their affective style. This means that some people have a genetic predisposition toward happiness or sadness and feel different ranges of emotion. When somebody’s emotions tend to fall on the negative side of the range, there are measures they can take to counter them. Keep reading about the emotional range and how to counter

How to Save for a House in 4 Easy Steps

Do you dream of buying a home? How much money do you need to save for a house down payment in your legislation? Buying a home is one of the best investments you can make, despite fluctuations in pricing and shifts in the economy. It’s like a long-term savings plan—not only do you need to save for a house down payment, but any increase in value won’t be taxable until you decide to sell. Here is how to create a feasible plan to save for a 20% house down payment.

How Do We Make Decisions? Mostly Irrationally

How do we make decisions? What factors influence our decision-making process? Are our decisions rational? In the book Predictably Irrational, author Dan Ariely explains that humans make irrational decisions that are so predictable that they are often taken advantage of by society, especially the marketing industry. He also explains how relativity makes decisions for you. Keep reading to learn the psychology behind how we make decisions.

Evolutionary Relationships: Mate Selection & Jealousy

What do men and women look for in a mate? How does evolution affect sexual behavior? How is jealousy a construct of evolution? Human babies take a long time to develop after birth. This long period of child care requires participation from females and males which has created some mating-related behaviors. Everything from mate selection, to jealousy, to testing loyalty, to how society perceives promiscuity comes from evolution. Keep reading for more on evolutionary relationships.

Systemic Racism in Education: It’s Real and Pervasive

How does systemic racism manifest in the education system? And what can we do to fight it? Systemic racism in the education system is pervasive. It manifests at every level from preschool through primary to secondary school and beyond. To end this cycle for the next generation of children of color, we have to encourage schools to address the opportunity gap between white students and students of color. This article looks at how systemic racism manifests in the education system and how it affects students’ performance and learning experiences in preschool, elementary, and secondary school.

Seligman’s Positive Psychology: The 6 Core Virtues

What is Seligman’s positive psychology? What are the six core virtues that are celebrated across all civilizations? Positive psychology is a relatively new field of science, founded in 1998 by Martin Seligman. This science attempts to elevate the human experience instead of treating the disorder. In his studies, Seligman discovered six core values that stretch across all cultures. Keep reading to learn more about Seligman’s positive psychology and the six core values.

Deceptive Advertising Often Manipulates Statistics

How do companies get away with misleading customers into buying their products? How can statistics be manipulated for deceptive advertising? If a company can’t find a statistic that makes them look good, then they resort to plan B: deceptive marketing. The top two methods for this are to either focus on semi-related figures or to attribute correlation to causation. Learn more about these deceptive advertising techniques below.