Mind & Behavior

Mind & Behavior

Study the science of how we think, feel, and act, with insights that help you better understand yourself and others.

Open book showing a close-up of a hand squeezing a blue stress ball on the left page, symbolizing pressure, while a grayscale image of a person in a suit with crossed arms graces the right page, set against a serene blue backdrop.
You got your promotion — but managing the pressure inherent to your elevated role is now a crucial part of your job.
A person in a suit holds a paper with a smiley face over their head, giving the thumbs-up with the other hand—perhaps caught in the people-pleaser trap, masking true feelings for approval.
The road to “uncaged leadership” means reimagining your professional identity and value. Here’s how.
Large white text reading “maybe” in quotation marks, with a purple scribble behind it, is shown on a black background.
When plans fall apart, adaptability can build something better.
A woman smiles at a baby in a crib, holding a toy while the baby reaches out, attempting their first words. They appear to be in a domestic setting.
While death-bed utterances are more famous, baby’s first words have influenced us too.
A blue compass rose emblem with a fractured design symbolizes navigation through the struggles of addiction, set starkly against a black background.
Big Think spoke with author and psychiatrist Elias Dakwar about addiction, rock bottom, and the moment you realize your compass is broken.
Two people experience everyday enlightenment as they shovel snow off a car in a winter wonderland, bundled up in cozy jackets, hats, and gloves.
Robert Waldinger, Zen priest and Harvard professor, explains why fulfillment isn’t about reaching an idealized state. It’s found in everyday acts of kindness and compassion.
An introverted leader in a gray suit sits thoughtfully on a white cube in a minimalist, white space with two other white cubes nearby, embodying the power of quiet contemplation.
A re-evaluation of how we perceive introverts in leadership is long overdue. Here are the compelling reasons why.
Man peering through a glass container with measurement markings, focused expression, blurred foreground.
“Can we push these cells to do something other than what they normally do?" asks developmental biologist Michael Levin. "Can they build something completely different?”
A woman with long blonde hair is next to an illustration of a cracked snow globe containing a figure in a pink dress.
6mins
She’s a fierce competitor on the ice. But the figure skater’s toughest battle has been accepting her shortcomings and learning to love herself.
Unlikely Collaborators
Three seated individuals against a grid background with blue, yellow, and green panels. Each person gestures with their hands while sitting.
AI, anxiety, and emotional intelligence are on learners' minds as they prepare to tackle the new year.
A person with long dark hair beams with creativity, wearing a tiger print jacket, set against a vibrant blue background.
Neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff discusses the lasting benefits of uncertainty, curiosity, and the experimental mindset.
A computer screen adorned with a smiley face made of sticky notes exudes workplace happiness, sitting on a desk alongside a keyboard, mouse, phone, notebook, apple, glass of water, and small plant.
From “job crafting” to questioning our preconceived ideas about work, there are many ways to fight burnout and disengagement.
Abstract image with intertwined black and white wispy lines forming a chaotic, web-like pattern on a dark background.
Delirium is one of the most perplexing deathbed phenomena, exposing the gap between our cultural ideals of dying words and the reality of a disoriented mind.
A silhouette of a head brimming with green grass and tiny flowers forms a brain-like shape, embodying sentience against a yellow textured background.
Could AI develop true intelligence without sentience? Philosopher Jonathan Birch explores the boundaries of artificial and evolved minds.
Abstract black and white image of two figures embracing, with swirling line patterns and contrasting shadows evoking a textured effect that subtly hints at negative emotions.
Ethan Kross, psychologist and author of "Shift," explains how negative emotions help us live safely and well.
A sprinter in a red tracksuit charges down the track with ultra confidence, accompanied by overlayed graphics of historical photos, numbers, and a line graph on the image.
Performance psychology reveals the mental techniques elite athletes use to build and maintain their confidence.
A cracked egg under pressure supports a large blue rock, surrounded by a cheering crowd in black and white.
Professional sport is a hotbed of "performance anxiety” — and to start managing pressure in all settings, we need to properly define it.
Illustration of a tennis court diagram featuring a bright yellow tennis ball, symbolizing success amidst several gray tennis balls, representing the journey through failure.
Tennis pro Mardy Fish and Spanx founder Sara Blakely both turned failure into their greatest asset.
A classical statue, embodying an Olympic mindset, holds a clipboard and phone against a split green and black background.
What we can all learn about the journey from sporting arena to workplace — and how Aristotle can guide our thinking.
Rebuilding the NFL franchise in the early 2020s echoed the corporate overhauls that had transformed Boeing and Ford.