The Best of The Atlantic
20+ most popular The Atlantic articles, as voted by our community.
Exploring the American idea through ambitious, essential reporting and storytelling. Of no party or clique since 1857. http://theatlantic.com
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New this Week
These are fresh off the press.
My Father, My Faith, and Donald Trump
Here, in our house of worship, people were taunting me about politics as I tried to mourn.
Trending
These are currently making the rounds on Refind.
We Don’t Actually Know if AI Is Taking Over Everything
A test of AI transparency gave every major company an F.
The Great Social Media–News Collapse
The truth about Big Tech’s relationship with journalism is much more complicated than it appears.
Self-Checkout Is a Failed Experiment
Please, not another “unexpected item in the bagging area.”
Sleep More and Be Happier
When Shakespeare called a good night’s rest the “balm of hurt minds,” he was really onto something.
The Real Reason You Should Get an E-bike
It’ll cut your emissions. It’ll also make you happier.
The Atlantic on Elon Musk
Elon Musk Is Bad at This
The Musk era of Twitter has so far been defined by unhinged tweets, fleeing advertisers, and botched layoffs.
Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson Don’t Understand the First Amendment
Twitter is a private company, not the federal government—something Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson fail to understand, @DavidAFrench writes:
The Atlantic on Friendship
The Atlantic on Happiness
If You Want Success, Pursue Happiness
Many people chase achievement, assuming it will lead to well-being. They should reverse that order of operations.
«The first thing to remember is that happiness requires balance. No matter how much you enjoy your work, overwork will become an obstruction to well-being.»
The Seven Habits That Lead to Happiness in Old Age
Your well-being is like a retirement account: The sooner you invest, the greater your returns will be.
«“How to Build a Life” is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness.»
The Atlantic on Marriage
The First Lesson of Marriage 101: There Are No Soul Mates
A course at Northwestern University teaches students about what makes a healthy relationship.
What You Lose When You Gain a Spouse
What if marriage is not the social good that so many believe and want it to be?
The Atlantic on Parenting
Why Rich Kids Are So Good at the Marshmallow Test
Affluence—not willpower—seems to be what’s behind some kids' capacity to delay gratification.
The Atlantic on Politics
Reading Too Much Political News Is Bad for Your Well-Being
Obsessing over politics could hurt your happiness and your relationships.
Words Have Lost Their Common Meaning
The word "racism," among others, has become maddeningly confusing in current usage.
«To speak English is to know the difference between pairs of words that might as well be the same one»
The Atlantic on Relationships
The Six Forces That Fuel Friendship
I’ve spent more than three years interviewing friends for “The Friendship Files.” Here’s what I’ve learned.
«I’ve come to believe that friendship doesn’t always have to be about presence; it can also be about love that can weather absence.»
What the Longest Study on Human Happiness Found Is the Key to a Good Life
The Harvard Study of Adult Development has established a strong correlation between deep relationships and well-being. The question is, how does a person nurture those deep relationships?
«Loneliness has a physical effect on the body. It can render people more sensitive to pain, suppress their immune system, diminish brain function, and disrupt sleep»
The Atlantic on Russia
Russia’s Economic Blackout Will Change the World
Like all novel experiments, the group punishment of Russia is a leap into the unknown.
The Atlantic on Society
We Are Living in a Failed State
The coronavirus didn’t break America. It revealed what was already broken.
Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore
Our unpredictable and overburdened schedules are taking a dire toll on American society.
The Atlantic on Trump
How to Build an Autocracy
The preconditions are present in the U.S. today. Here’s the playbook Donald Trump could use to set the country down a path toward illiberalism.
The First White President
The foundation of Donald Trump’s presidency is the negation of Barack Obama’s legacy.
Popular
These are some all-time favorites with Refind users.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
The Most Misunderstood Concept in Psychology
What are boundaries?
«Boundaries are often thought of as rules for other people, but in reality, they’re rules for ourselves.»
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
More comfortable online than out partying, post-Millennials are safer, physically, than adolescents have ever been. But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis.
«The aim of generational study, however, is not to succumb to nostalgia for the way things used to be; it’s to understand how they are now.»
Your Career Is Just One-Eighth of Your Life
Five pieces of career advice, shaped by economics, psychology, and a little bit of existential math
«By the way, beware this inverse relationship, as sometimes the most attractive titles are reserved for the most soul-destroying labor.»
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