How Money Changes the Way You Think and Feel - Greater Good
Feb 8, 2018 · The term “affluenza”—a portmanteau of affluence and influenza, defined as a “painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste, resulting from the dogged pursuit of more”—is often dismissed as a silly buzzword created to express our cultural disdain for consumerism. Though often used in jest, the term may contain more truth …
How to Find Your Purpose in Life - Greater Good
Jan 10, 2018 · Do you have a sense of purpose? For decades, psychologists have studied how long-term, meaningful goals develop over the span of our lives. The goals that foster a sense of purpose are ones that can potentially change the lives of other people, like launching an organization, researching disease, or teaching kids to read.
Compassion Definition | What Is Compassion - Greater Good
Jan 2, 2025 · Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to …
What Makes Technology Good or Bad for Us? - Greater Good
May 2, 2019 · A quick glance at the research on technology-mediated interaction reveals an ambivalent literature. Some studies show that time spent socializing online can decrease loneliness, increase well-being, and help the socially anxious learn how to connect to others. Other studies suggest that time spent socializing online can cause loneliness, decrease well …
Why Is Democracy Worth Defending? - Greater Good
Aug 8, 2024 · That trend is global. The Pew Research Center has found support for democracy as an ideal slipping around the world over the past seven years. Those opinions reflect a real-world trend: A new report from the V-Dem Project—which convenes over 4,000 researchers around the world to aggregate their data—finds that authoritarian governments are gaining ground.
Purpose in Life Quiz - Greater Good
What’s your purpose in life? It’s a daunting question. But your answer may say a lot about your well-being. Studies link a sense of purpose to better physical and mental health. But your purpose isn’t just about you. According to researchers, a true purpose is one that is both personally ...
Empathy Definition | What Is Empathy - Greater Good
6 days ago · The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. Contemporary researchers often differentiate between two types of empathy: “Affective empathy” refers to the …
Purpose Definition | What Is Purpose - Greater Good
Jan 8, 2025 · To psychologists, purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. The goals that foster a sense of purpose are ones that can potentially change the lives of other people, like launching an organization, researching a disease, or teaching kids to read. Our sense of purpose will …
To Live Longer, Find Your Purpose in Life - Greater Good
Nov 20, 2024 · In this study, researchers drew on data from almost 6,000 adults who’d participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study between 1994 and 1996. These middle-aged participants had reported on their physical health, overall life satisfaction, relationships, and work status.
Emotional Intelligence Quiz | Greater Good
The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.