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The gift of listening
Have you ever left a social gathering feeling drained? Chances are you didn’t get to express yourself authentically. Perhaps you felt you had to make small talk or pretend to be interested in topics that didn’t excite you. Have you ever come away from a meeting feeling frustrated and demoralised? I’ll bet you weren’t given […]
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Comfort discourages heroism
Heroes overcome obstacles. Whether it’s a passerby who risks danger to save others in a one-off incident, or a human rights campaigner working tirelessly over a lifetime, a hero doesn’t take the easy road. Most of us don’t aspire to be heroes; we leave that for exceptional human beings. We prefer to mind our own […]
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Take a moment
When something confronting or difficult happens, we might react with anger, upset, fear or despondency. Our reactions can seem so automatic that we fail to recognise that moment – perhaps a split second – between what happened and our response. It’s during that moment that our response is determined. Living a more satisfying and self-determined […]
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How can I be happy when things are so bad?
One reason we find it hard to be happy is that we persistently deny ourselves permission. Faulty reasoning makes us think that being happy would be somehow selfish and wrong. For example: If someone I love is suffering, to be cheerful would feel unkind. If I’m grieving for someone I love, it seems disloyal to […]
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Survival of the fittest, not the fastest
People say that our fight/flight responses evolved because our Stone Age ancestors had to be quick to escape from predators, like sabretooth tigers. We were kept safe from life-threatening dangers by this instant response, kicking in before there was time to think. Evolution ensured that those with the quickest responses were the ones who survived. […]
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It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day!
For some, kindness is a way of life; for others, it might come and go, depending on mood and circumstances. If someone we know and like is in need, we’re usually spurred to help them out, but with strangers we might be less inclined to notice and more hesitant to get involved. How does a […]
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Logical arguments
Logic is great for puzzles and games, which take place in a finite imaginary world with known facts and rules (and usually only one right answer). But logic has its limitations; it cannot lead to conclusions outside of that world. Regular equations can’t explain quantum phenomena, just as a game of Cluedo cannot conclude with: […]
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Citizenship and contribution
I call this website Happy Nation, not because it’s about a particular country, but because nationhood implies citizenship. Citizenship is a way of belonging that includes loyalty and duty towards the group to which you belong. Just like nations, social groups – households, communities and workplaces – all thrive when their citizens are active contributors. […]
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Is your support group helping you grow?
Nowadays it’s relatively easy to connect with others who share challenges that we thought were unique to us. It can be wonderful to find people who understand what we’re going through and who can share tips for getting by. Support groups can be a great way to uplift one another, pool information and help educate […]
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Gratitude
It’s been shown that the more grateful we are, the happier we are. Yet gratitude is something we’re not particularly good at. Bad news grabs our attention more than good. If your performance review mentions ten things you’re doing well and one thing you need to improve, you’re likely to focus on the one negative […]