In the 1960s, psychologist Marty Seligman inadvertently stumbled upon a finding that can have a profound impact on our happiness and success. Seligman found that if you subject animals to a painful or adverse experience, then they may fail to avoid that experience in future – even when it’s quite… Read More »How we learn helplessness – and how to overcome it
Books on happiness have proliferated in recent years as we confront a discomforting fact. Though more of us are richer and have more opportunities than ever before, surveys show our overall happiness levels are decreasing. There are many different aspects of happiness, but most psychologists agree it’s made up of a… Read More »Five movie tips to make you happier
Diversity and tolerance are hot topics in world politics currently, and a TV company in Denmark recently made its entry into the debate. “All That We Share”, which you can see below, is an ad that quickly went viral, notching up over three million views on YouTube in less than two weeks.… Read More »Diversity: highlighting similarity, not difference
Settle back for our third round-up of inspirational quotes from movies. If you’ve missed the first two, you can catch them here and here. Got a favourite of your own? Why not add it in the comments? “You can’t learn anything when you’re talking. That’s a fact of life. As… Read More »21 inspirational quotes from movies
Why are performance reviews often so ineffective? And why can simply omitting someone from your email distribution list generate a strong emotional response? Recent developments in neuroscience can throw light on these questions. The invention of fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machines now allows scientists to see which parts of… Read More »Five ways to understand the brain: the SCARF model
As a leader, teacher or educator, much of your success will depend on your ability to communicate in a way that really resonates with your audience. That’s not an easy task. In our age of internet, social media and smartphones, we’re assailed by thousands of messages a day. Only by… Read More »Make your messages sticky: lessons from Freedom Writers
Leading any group can be hard. But imagine that group is riven with gang rivalry and hate, with an ever-present threat of physical violence. And that you’ve woefully underestimated the challenge. That’s the situation facing Erin Gruwell (played by Hilary Swank) in her first teaching job at the newly-integrated Woodrow… Read More »How Erin Gruwell can help you lead a difficult team