Hidden Brain
George Loewenstein joins Shankar Vedantam to examine why the mind gravitates toward negative emotions, how misery can perpetuate itself, and why accepting our feelings may lessen their power over us.
Book of the Day · Read + Listen
George Loewenstein explains why evolution prepared us to survive rather than remain happy, why negative emotions linger and overpower positive ones, and why struggling to stay happy is not a personal failing.
Choiceology · Charles Schwab
Katy Milkman and George Loewenstein explore why people prefer experiences that improve over time, including rising salaries, anticipation and dread, and the appeal of saving the best for last.
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Vox · Future Perfect
George Loewenstein speaks with Marina Bolotnikova about why misery is a core feature of human life, how negative meta-emotions deepen suffering, and why social progress may make people less miserable even when it does not make them happier.
Read on Vox →George Loewenstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jerry Colonna connect behavioral science and Buddhist thought in a reflective conversation about pain, meta-emotions, empathy, hope, and our relationship with suffering.
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The Guardian · The big idea
Efforts to avoid fear, rejection, regret, and other forms of misery can constrict our lives and sometimes make us more miserable.
Read in The Guardian →
Vogue · Book excerpt
George Loewenstein examines why rejection feels like physical pain, damages self-esteem, and can remain emotionally vivid long after it occurs.
Read in Vogue →
George Loewenstein explores how negative emotions influence memory, judgment, behavior, and our understanding of ourselves.
Watch on YouTube →Derek Thompson and George Loewenstein examine why negative feelings deserve attention rather than judgment.
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Big Think
Book excerpt
George Loewenstein explains why evolution shaped our emotions to keep us alive, not necessarily to keep us happy.
Read on Big Think →George Loewenstein explores jealousy, confirmation bias, and the ways fear of losing someone can become self-fulfilling.
Read in The Psychologist →