The limits of self-knowledge
It's pretty uncontroversial to say that there are some things people are not very good at knowing about themselves. It's not easy to know how funny you are, or whether people find you charming. But...
View ArticleDoes Sotomayor know her own biases?
Prominent Republicans have been calling for senators to ask Sotomayor about how her ethnic identity influences her judgment during her upcoming confirmation hearings. Some have even gone as far as...
View ArticleSupreme court acknowledges existence of unconscious bias
In a 5-4 ruling this week, the supreme court ruled that a judge should recuse himself if there is a risk of actual bias, even if the judge himself has searched his soul and concluded that he has no...
View ArticleA case of national self-deception?
The U.S. media is in a frenzy over the election in Iran. I agree that the results were probably rigged, that it was not a fair election, and I, too, would have liked to see Ahmadinejad defeated. But...
View ArticleSo your mom thinks you're beautiful...
During today's online chat with Dear Prudence, a woman asked why she can't find a boyfriend even though "people always tell me I'm really pretty, smart, fun, nice, and adventurous".read more
View ArticleYou're not the kind of man who...
Most of us don't know how we would act under the most dire circumstances. Few people ever have to find out. But that doesn't stop the rest of us from speculating.read more
View ArticleDoes Obama know how we see him?
We don't like people who think they're more popular than they really are.read more
View ArticleWhat your friends know about you that you don't
Are you your own best expert? When it comes to your own personality, you should know, right? Maybe not. A study of mine that just came out in this month's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology...
View ArticleLeBron's brilliant self-insight... and total self-delusion
LeBron displayed incredible self-insight about his limitations on the basketball court, and astonishing delusions about the consequences of his off-the-court actions.read more
View ArticleA psychologist dissatisfied vs. a dog satisfied
My dog can't introspect or observe her own behavior, so it's not surprising she isn't aware of her personality. But what's our excuse?read more
View ArticleSave us from ourselves
The allure of believing we are multi-tasking superheroes is irresistible. The time has come for the government to save us from ourselves.read more
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