Humans tend to suffer from a negativity bias – we notice and dwell more readily on negative experiences than positive ones.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks after being released from prison for leading a boycott.
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Ritesh Shah, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
A four-year survey of Palestinian school children in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem found hope and wellbeing already seriously declining. The situation now can only make it worse.
This study wanted to find whether believing your child is better at school than they actually are was detrimental or beneficial to the child’s academic success. Turns out, it actually helps.
Joe Biden during his inauguration speech on January 20, 2021 in Washington.
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A textual analysis of Joe Biden’s inaugural speech reveals the main lines of his future communication, which will be marked by a clear break with that of his predecessor.
How do we find hope when times are bleak?
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A year of social disconnections, deaths, job losses and political violence may lead some people to feel overwhelmed and sad. A psychologist suggests ways to find and sustain hope.
Even though some people are being vaccinated for COVID-19 vaccines, most of us will need to deal with the stress of the pandemic for months to come.
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Think American democracy is ending? You’re not alone, writes a historian. American leaders have often yielded to despair – as far back as the founding of the republic.
Unless danger is flashing before us, we view risks through rose-colored glasses.
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Humans tend to downplay their own susceptibility to being harmed – an attitude of ‘it won’t happen to me’ that could be hindering the collective response to the pandemic.
Street cobbler.
Sam 'Dele-Ogunti Documentary Photographer. Lagos, Nigeria.
The more humans seek happiness, the more it can elude them. In exploring this conundrum, a Nigerian novelist spoke with everyday people in his country, finding the coexistence of hope and deprivation.
Providing optimism in the face of environmental reality can help people stay aware and hopeful for a positive outcome.
Photo: A. Sergeev
Managing Director of the McCourtney Institute of Democracy, Associate Research Professor, Political Science, Co-host of Democracy Works Podcast, Penn State