There’s a very specific phrase that should come with a psychological warning label. “Can we meet? It’ll only take a few seconds.” A few seconds. I would like to meet the alternate universe where this is true. I imagine it’s a magical place where meetings start on time, […]
There’s a theory floating around the internet lately that’s called the “5-Year Stranger Theory” which basically suggests that a large portion of the people in your life right now won’t be in it five years from now. I wrote about this ladt week. And it’s still on my […]
Apparently, new research suggests that leaders who oppose remote work may have higher levels of narcissism. The theory? They crave attention. Validation. The admiring gaze of employees nodding in conference rooms and laughing just a little too hard at their jokes. And listen, I love a good psychological […]
In a move that feels equal parts dystopian and deeply on-brand for 2026, Dating.com has announced it’s hiring its first-ever Chief Breakup Officer. This is a person whose full-time job is to end other people’s relationships for them. I’m sorry, is this not just Human Resources with better […]
Somewhere in 2017, over 100 employees boarded planes for what was marketed as a “corporate retreat.” You know the type. Growth. Bonding. Vision. Probably a PowerPoint with the word synergy in it. What they got instead? A fever dream. This is what supposedly happen but recall can certainly […]
Steve Jobs famously said the only way to do great work is to love what you do. And listen, I both agree and would like to lovingly challenge Mr. Turtleneck. Because here’s the inconvenient truth. You don’t get a moral hall pass just because you’re not “in love” […]
There’s a particular kind of human arrogance that assumes insight belongs exclusively to us; along with taxes, existential dread, and the ability to overanalyze text messages. For a long time, scientists mostly agreed. Sure, animals could learn. They could try things, fail, try again. Trial and error. The […]
Lately, I’ve been reading about so-called “dark personality traits.” Not villains-with-capes dark. More like everyday-people-with-good-lighting dark. Psychology tends to group them into a familiar trio: narcissism (I’m the main character), Machiavellianism (I’ll move the pieces), and psychopathy (I don’t feel much about it either way). Collectively, they’ve earned […]
Monday’s clinically questionable to-do list 1. Bite off more than I can chew. (Because self-awareness is for Tuesday.)2. Build Rome in one day. (Surely they just lacked proper project management.)3. Poke a bear with a stick. (My core competency. My brand, really.)4. Beat a dead horse. (Actually, this […]
There are movies you watch as a kid and think, “Cool.” And then there are movies you revisit as an adult and think, “…wait a minute, is this a cautionary tale about my job?” Enter RoboCop. At first glance, it’s peak 80s dystopian sci-fi. It’s a crime-ridden Detroit, […]