The Best of Greater Good
20+ most popular Greater Good articles, as voted by our community.
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Three Things That Influence Our Character
For educators teaching character, it helps to understand the way it is shaped by our personal experiences, environments, and relationships.
«I’d share that I’ve learned that character assets such as honesty and integrity are more desirable qualities than prestige and power, and that the way I show up for other people is more important than what others can do for me»
Greater Good on Anxiety
What to Do With Dread and Anxiety About Climate Change
You're not alone if you're feeling dread and anxiety about climate change. A new book explains how to channel these feelings to fight for a better world.
Greater Good on Failures
How to Learn from Your Failures
Research suggests that we need to overcome some emotional and cognitive barriers if we’re to learn from our defeats—but it can be done.
«Failure bruises the ego, that metaphorical seat of our self-esteem and self-importance. When we fail, we feel threatened—and that sense of threat can trigger a fight-or-flight response.»
Greater Good on Gratitude
How Cultural Differences Shape Your Gratitude
Americans say thanks a lot, but other cultures may have a deeper understanding of gratitude.
Greater Good on Happiness
Happiness Break: Restore Through Silence
When was the last time you spent a moment savoring silence? Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, guides us through an appreciation of silence and its restorative powers.
Wanting to Help Others Could Make You Happier at Work
A research review finds that employees who are motivated to be kind and helpful tend to have higher well-being at work.
Greater Good on Mental Health
A Five-Minute Breathing Exercise for Anxiety and Mood
Researchers have found that practicing "cyclic sighing" for five minutes a day can help you feel less anxiety and more positive emotions.
«Controlled breathing exercises may have a more rapid, more direct effect on physiology than mindfulness,»
What Type of Exercise Is Best for Mental Health?
A large new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Greater Good on Mindfulness
The Surprising Ways Your Mind Influences Your Health
A new book argues that we can harness the connection between our minds and our physiology for better health.
The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2022
Our team names the most provocative and influential findings published during this past year.
«in deciding whether to do something generous or helpful for someone, we chronically underestimate how much beneficial impact we can make»
Greater Good on Passion
Why Being Passionate About Your Job Isn’t Always a Good Thing
Research suggests that there are two types of passion we can have about work—and one may be harmful for you.
«For example, a person who agrees with statements such as “I get upset easily” or “I worry about different things at the same time” is much more vulnerable to burnout if they work as a lawyer, a fundraiser, or a broker. But that same person is less likely to become obsessed with their job if they work as a dentist, engineer, nurse, surgeon, or social worker.»
Greater Good on Psychology
Four Ways to Turn a Bad Day Around
Some days, nothing seems to go right. Here are four steps to calm down and get things back on track.
Four Ways We Avoid Our Feelings—and What to Do Instead
Avoiding our emotions is not good for our mental health. A psychologist explains how to break the habit and embrace your vulnerability.
«Identify where you feel the sensation; locate it precisely, one place at a time—not just “My muscles are tense,” but which ones and where»
Greater Good on Relationships
The Eight Kinds of Humility That Can Help You Stay Grounded
There are many ways to be humble, according to recent research.
«Our experiences might give us only partial understandings of people from other cultures, and, all too often, we might carry stereotyped assumptions about other cultures that will inevitably cause harm.»
How to Communicate With Love (Even When You’re Mad)
A marriage therapist offers a step-by-step guide for a conversation with your partner when emotions are running high.
«I feel _________ when you _________ and I need _________f.”»
Popular
These are some all-time favorites with Refind users.
How to Get Comfortable With Uncertainty and Change
When life is uncertain, our usual responses and coping strategies might not always work. The practice of mental agility can help us be resilient.
«It comes down to the choice of stick or switch: Should I keep pursuing the same thoughts, feelings, and actions, or do I need to switch to something new?»
When You Feel Jealous, Think About Cultivating “Compersion”
New research on empathic joy points the way to closer intimate relationships.
«At its core, the principle of compersion relies on the dissolution of the perception of separation between self and other.»
How Much Control Do You Have Over Your Own Happiness?
Social conditions and inequality affect well-being. So, why do we keep insisting "happiness is a choice"?
«When I write that “structural forces” affect happiness, what do I mean? What does a structural force look like in society?»
Instead of Pulling Out Your Phone, Let Your Mind Wander
When we're waiting, we often have the urge to distract ourselves—but a new study finds we’d enjoy doing nothing but think.
«there were no significant differences between those who waited with or without a computer; both groups liked the experience equally.»
Why Sensitivity Is a Strength in Boys
It’s time to shift the paradigm about sensitivity in boys and recognize how it improves their relationships and supports their well-being.
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