As therapists are meant to be the ones who know how to sit still. We talk about containment, presence, the sacred value of the here-and-now. But even we—guardians of the analytic frame—are not immune to the guilty pleasure of gazing at the unfamiliar. A slow scroll through Turkish hammams, a documentary on Siberian reindeer herders, the oddly calming sight of Japanese forest monks sweeping temple grounds. There it is again: cultural voyeurism.

Variable rewards are so effective because they mimic a deeply ancient survival logic. In the wild, rewards were rarely consistent. You didn’t know when the next berry bush would appear or whether the rustle in the bushes meant danger or dinner. Unpredictability kept our ancestors alert and engaged. Those who stuck around the longest — watching, waiting, trying — often had the best chance of survival.

In an era of personal branding, viral opinions, and relentless self-promotion, humility seems to have become an anachronism—something quaint, even suspicious. It is hard to imagine a social media influencer celebrating their own modesty, or a politician admitting their uncertainty. Humility, once a prized virtue, has been edged out by a culture that rewards confidence, […]

There was a time when education was seen as a gateway to self-improvement, a mark of aspiration, and even something admirable. To be thoughtful, well-read, and informed was considered a virtue. Today, however, a troubling shift has occurred. Being intellectual or well-informed is no longer “cool” in certain spaces, especially in the fast-moving, hyper-reactive world of social media. Instead, we are witnessing the rise of an alarming anti-intellectual culture, where wit is mistaken for wisdom, confidence trumps knowledge, and memes or tweets are seen as sufficient substitutes for careful thought.

The rise of AI therapy marks a fascinating and bittersweet development in the way we approach mental health. These tools, often driven by algorithms, chat interfaces, and programmed empathy, offer something profoundly useful: accessibility. For many, the barriers to traditional therapy—cost, availability, or even the intimidating nature of opening up to another human—are significantly reduced. […]

In the 21st century, we are living through an unprecedented explosion of labels. A seemingly boundless array of diagnostic identities now saturates the cultural landscape, from anxiety disorders to neurodivergence. Among these, ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—has emerged as a particularly seductive label, not merely as a medical diagnosis but as a lifestyle, a cultural movement, […]