No Regrets, The Case Against Empathy, and Is AI Coming for Us All?

What’s the secret to having a good life?

Many of us believe that our happiness depends on how successful we are in our careers. But in The Good Life (2023), psychiatrist Robert Waldinger and psychologist Marc Schulz argue that the key to a good life is to cultivate good relationships. They base this conclusion on what they’ve learned from hundreds of people while directing the world’s longest-running longitudinal research study on how adults develop.

In this guide, we’ll define what a good life is and how to evaluate the current quality of your relationships. We’ll also share Waldinger and Schulz’s tips on how to improve your relationships with your spouse, family, coworkers, and friends. Along the way, we’ll share what other authors and psychologists have to say about Waldinger and Schulz’s findings.

How can you cope when life throws unexpected changes your way? To find out, Bruce Feiler traveled around the United States, interviewing hundreds of people about the ups and downs of their life stories. In Life Is in the Transitions, he discusses his findings, arguing that although popular wisdom tells you to expect one major midlife crisis where you’ll deal with upheaval, most people actually face dozens of life-changing events over the course of their lives. During his research, Feiler discovered that life's disruptions follow a particular pattern, and by understanding this pattern, we can better navigate these changes.

In this guide, we’ll explore the types of changes we encounter, why these transitions can be so challenging, and Feiler's advice for navigating them more effectively. We’ll also explore how other experts define life changes, discuss insights from people whose lives have changed dramatically, and provide psychological perspectives that can help you deal with both positive and negative life events.

Society tends to view older women as washed up, fickle, and unhappy. This stereotype makes most older women shy away from labeling themselves as old. But the truth is that 70-something women are happier than ever and more content with life.

Is there something in your life you wish you could undo? Everyone has regrets, but in The Power of Regret, Daniel Pink explains why that might actually be a good thing. According to Pink, you can grow from your regrets and use them to improve your life. In our guide to The Power of Regret, you'll learn about the process of forming regrets, the types of things people regret most, and how to analyze your regrets for life-changing lessons. You'll even learn which types of regret feel less intense with time—and which ones feel more.

Throughout the guide, our commentary will extend Pink's advice with actionables and insights from other authors. We'll also explore some of the psychological research underpinning his ideas.

If we want to be kind and moral people, it seems obvious that we should practice empathy—learning to understand what other people are feeling and thinking. Most of us probably believe that empathy should be a core component of our relationships. But what if this conventional understanding of empathy gets it wrong?

In Against Empathy, Yale psychologist Paul Bloom argues that empathy can motivate us to behave in ways that are unjust, irrational, and even cruel. He suggests that instead of practicing empathy, we should cultivate a rational form of compassion instead, and use this more measured and distanced approach to make decisions that are better for everyone involved.

In this guide, we’ll examine Bloom’s argument against empathy, explore the flaws that he finds in this emotion, and look at the methods that he recommends for making better, more moral decisions. We’ll also compare Bloom’s ideas to those of other psychologists and philosophers who’ve examined the role that empathy plays in life and relationships.

In How to Know a Person, New York Times columnist David Brooks argues that our ability to truly understand and connect with others is in crisis. As a result, we have problems like political polarization, mental health issues, and an epidemic of loneliness. Brooks contends that by rediscovering the lost art of “knowing” people, we can bridge divides, foster empathy, and rebuild our moral character.

This guide explores Brooks’s key insights on seeing people as individuals, appreciating diverse perspectives, and recognizing the inherent dignity of every person around you. You’ll learn practical strategies for deeper listening, asking meaningful questions, and cultivating crucial social skills. We’ll also compare his insights on social behavior and relationships to those of other experts and look at how Brooks’s advice aligns with research on understanding and communicating with each other.

From sibling arguments to temper tantrums, parents constantly have to manage conflict. These challenging moments are pivotal opportunities to promote your child’s psychological development. The Whole-Brain Child explains the neurological and developmental reasons for many of your child’s meltdowns and misbehaviors. When the different parts of your child’s brain—such as the logical left brain and the emotional right brain—are not integrated, it makes your child mentally and emotionally off-balance, which causes her to act out.

The book teaches you how to diagnose signs of dis-integration, as well as strategies to help your child to re-integrate her mind. With these tools, your child will develop a stronger relationship with you, increase her self-awareness and emotional self-control, and build the foundation for a lifetime of healthy relationships and mental and emotional stability.