David DeSteno @daviddesteno Twitter profile

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David DeSteno

1 month

Spirituality typically boosts health. But when religious identity merges with politics, the consequences can be dire. As Francis Collins notes below, COVID denial & vaccine mistrust in the Evangelical community was a case in point. Full episode here @prx

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

18 days

@JohnFugelsang At heart, the Christian view should boil down to this (h/t Miroslav Volf): Honor Everyone (1 Peter 2:17). It’s that simple.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Coming from an Italian family where the norms of living with/by extended family was the norm, I agree with ⁦ @nytdavidbrooks ⁩ arguments. EXCEPT, I think the toll on wellbeing exists for wealthier too. We CAN function, but not as happily without family

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Sensitivity to disgust "explains 4 to 13 percent of the variation in a population’s ideology," says @peez . Great piece in @TheAtlantic on how disgust shapes views of morality & politics. @JonHaidt @yorl @SimoneSchnall

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 months

A good discussion between ⁦ @tylercowen ⁩ & ⁦ @JonHaidt ⁩. Tyler works through the nuances (and holes) in the “rewiring a generation” argument. Sure, for segments of the teen population, social media use might pose a problem…. 1/n

Jonathan Haidt on Adjusting to Smartphones and Social Media (Ep. 209)

Are we in for a decades-long dip in teen mental health?

conversationswithtyler.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

7 years

A better route to maximizing both your resume & eulogy virtues this coming year. My new piece for @nytopinion and a precis for my new book #EmotionalSuccess @HMHbooks

Opinion | The Only Way to Keep Your Resolutions (Published 2017)

Willpower is for chumps. Here’s what actually works.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

To all the hospice workers out there: Thank You. My mom (who’s 101) is close to passing, but I’ve been so touched by the compassion and generosity of the hospice teams working to help us. Your kindness is inspiring and more appreciated than I (and many other you help) can say.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

I’ve long harbored a worry that gratitude, while nudging people to be cooperative, might make them complacent and ripe for ongoing exploitation. Nope! It makes them expect and enforce better behavior from everyone.

Gratitude Helps You Cooperate. Does It Also Make You a Sucker? - By David DeSteno - Behavioral...

When I touted the benefits of gratitude, I had a worry lurking in the back of my mind that I couldn’t shake. Was I setting people up to be suckers?

behavioralscientist.org

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Compassion doesn't mean passive acceptance of injustice. Compassion means taking action to end injustice, but in a way that doesn't add to the suffering.

🤠

@SoQUALity

4 years

“6th and Jefferson in Louisville. This is a line of white people forming a barrier between black protestors and the police. This is love. This is what you do with your privilege.” - KY NOW #NoJusticeNoPeace #SayHerName #BreonnaTaylor Photo credit: Tim Druck

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Harvard will teach all classes remotely in the fall, and only allow half of students back to campus. I'll say it again, teaching remotely is a better experience for all than is teaching in a masked classroom for just a few (and online for the majority).

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 months

I've seen tons of debate on here about public intellectuals of late. My one piece of advice: Whether it's Haidt or Huberman, when the consensus of the scientific community disagrees with your spin on the data they collected & know intimately well, a moment of pause is in order.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

It's pub day for "How God Works." As I argue in excerpt in @wired , when it comes to finding ways to help people meet life's challenges, scientists shouldn't be starting from scratch. If we ignore religious practices, we slow the progress of science itself.

Psychologists Are Learning What Religion Has Known for Years

Social scientists are researching what humans can do to improve their quality of life. Their findings echo what religious practices perfected centuries ago.

www.wired.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Happy to announce that the science writing workshop for scientists and philosophers that @LFeldmanBarrett and I co-run with NYT's Jamie Ryerson has received another round of funding from @templeton_fdn . More details to come in early 2019 for potential applicants.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

If you're a psychologist interested in science communication, a heads up that @junegruber & I (with help from @PsychScience ) will be bringing a conversation online in Aug w/ James Ryerson from @nytopinion , @davenuss79 , @jimcoan , & @TaniaLombrozo re: op-eds, podcasting, & blogging

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Gratitude is powerful. Don’t save it for Thanksgiving. My newest for ⁦ @nytopinion ⁩.

Opinion | Why Gratitude Is Wasted on Thanksgiving (Published 2019)

Feeling grateful has many benefits, but they aren’t needed when you’re already surrounded by friends and family.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Cicero was right: Gratitude is a “parent” virtue. It gives rise to others: patience, generosity, honesty, loyalty, kindness, and fairness. Happy Thanksgiving!

The fast track to a life well lived is feeling grateful | Aeon Ideas

Being ‘good’ need not take years of ethical analysis: just a few moments of gratitude can set you on the path to virtue

aeon.co

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

8 months

@NoLieWithBTC What people like Speaker Johnson don’t understand is that not only has queerness existed all over the world for centuries, but also been welcomed with LGBTQ people often holding prominent, sacred status in society. Even Judaism had 6 genders @PeteButtigieg

‎How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality: From Two Spirit to Bissu, Gender Diversity Has...

‎Show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality, Ep From Two Spirit to Bissu, Gender Diversity Has Deep Roots - Oct 22, 2023

podcasts.apple.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Galleys have arrived! Nothing beats holding a physical copy in your hand after two years of only seeing your prose on a screen. Looking forward to sharing it with everyone in September.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

"I’d rather have freedom than a bunch of stuff in my basement." And other insights on finding the right work-life balance from the Great Resignation. It's definitely worth a read (before we all start falling back into the usual).

How Quitting a Job Changed My Work-Life Balance (Published 2022)

We asked people who quit their jobs during the “Great Resignation” how it changed how they approach work. This is what they told us.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Fantastic piece on understanding the recent hubbub on the marshmallow test. Combats the “nothing replicates” label that unfortunately got attached to it. It’s a more complex picture. via @behscientist

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

For psychologists interested in communicating with the public, @PsychScience has posted a series of conversations where @junegruber & I chat with @davenuss79 , @TaniaLombrozo , @jimcoan , and James Ryerson from the NYT about op-eds, podcasts, and blogging.

Communicating Psychological Science with the Public: Interview Series

Communicating psychological science beyond scientists in the field is essential, both to foster an informed public and to demonstrate the inherent value that psychological research offers. This...

www.psychologicalscience.org

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Self-control didn't evolve to help you diet or study for the SAT. What historically mattered for success was overcoming selfishness. That's why emotions like gratitude & compassion offer an easier route to self-control. Join me Tuesday for a virtual talk

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Incisive argument by @robertwrighter . A must read. Rational is only an ‘e’ away from rationale, and sometimes that ‘e’ emerges without the conscious mind knowing.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

With World Kindness Day this week, I thought it a good time to re-up this piece as a reminder that meditation isn’t meant to enhance memory, creativity, or productivity. It’s meant to end suffering via compassion. And there’s data it works. ⁩

How Meditation Builds Compassion

Mindfulness is best known for its positive effects on practitioners’ brains and bodies. My research suggests it may also encourage compassion toward others.

www.theatlantic.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Nothing much beats the feeling of getting a pre-registered paper accepted at Psychological Science. Today was a good day. Will post soon to @PsyArXiv a paper showing that gratitude is a parent virtue. It reduces cheating in unrelated areas.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 month

I'm a podcast host, but given my day job is being a behavioral scientist, I had to ask former NIH director Francis Collins this question about NIH funding with respect to COVID during our chat. @jayvanbavel , this is for you!

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

The privileged have less empathy. Kindness underlies cooperation. But if you're powerful enough that you don't need others' help, you can dial down the tendency to feel their pain & avert your eyes guilt free. Great piece by @zakijam w/ work by @mwkraus .

Perspective | Calls for racial justice gained steam with empathy

Like other skills, empathy takes practice, and people practice it when they are motivated to do so.

www.washingtonpost.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Psychedelics can lead to profound spiritual experiences. But they can also lead to terror or worse. On this ep, I talk with @michaelpollan & @ExistWell about the quick route to transcendence & why it’s risky to ignore the rituals that go with the chemicals

‎How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality: Transcendence: Why Chemicals Need Rituals on Apple...

‎Show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality, Ep Transcendence: Why Chemicals Need Rituals - Nov 28, 2021

podcasts.apple.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Can we put the idea of “lizard brain” to rest please. As ⁦ @LFeldmanBarrett ⁩ argues, “...the triune brain, the idea that evolution laid down brain circuitry like sedimentary rock, with reptilian, limbic, and neurocortical layers” is a myth.

Zombie Ideas

In this season of ghosts, witches, and everything spooky, APS President Lisa Feldman Barrett takes aim at the hordes of mistaken beliefs she sees continuing to haunt psychological science.

www.psychologicalscience.org

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

As @lauriesantos points out from @davidmarchese 's question: many practices that boost happiness have long been used by religion. And as she wisely notes, it's engagement in the practices, not belief, that matters. These practices nudge our minds & bodies.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

While it won't be out until fall, I'm happy to share the cover for my next book, How God Works, and excited to see it's now available for pre-order at Amazon, B&N, and other outlets

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

7 years

3rd study in a row showing meditation increases prosocial behavior. 3 albeit smallish samples, but fairly consistent effect size.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

As a past editor @APA (who won’t edit for them again), I urge all my colleagues to sign this. @APA is failing in many areas here. They also refuse to join @cope like other journal publishers to ensure they meet ethical guidelines for publishing and appeals.

Jay Van Bavel, PhD

@jayvanbavel

5 years

I created a petition for @APA They should stop using the profits of our free labor to pay lawyers who pressure scholars to remove publications from our academic websites. If not, they should use the profits to pay us to review for them. Please sign:

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Thrilled to announce that I'll be working with the inimitable @eamondolan again @simonschuster on a new book tentatively titled How God Works. I'll explore why a wide variety of religious practices & rituals are beneficial to many, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof).

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

People often ask my why, as a non-religious person myself, I'm hosting a podcast called How God Works. It's a good question. So let me answer it. It's because the data led me here. Engagement with religion predicts increased wellbeing, lower morbidity, including deaths of despair

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Gratitude doesn't only make you more virtuous, it makes you expect others to act more morally as well. Our paper showing gratitude increases third party punishment is now in press. via @OSFramework

Gratitude Increases Third-Party Punishment

Third-party punishment occurs when a perpetrator of a transgression is punished by another person who was not directly affected by the transgression (i.e., a third-party). Given gratitude’s demonst...

osf.io

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 months

@jayvanbavel This is an important point. The public hears there’s an effect, but will understandably assume it’s big. This suggests it accounts for 2% of the variability in mental health. Or a “need to treat” estimate of 11 (meaning for every 11 people using it, 1 will show a negative effect)

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

Nature can affect human well-being in many ways. A new paper offers a roadmap of sorts.

Nature can affect human well-being in many more ways than you think

A new study reviewing hundreds of scientific papers identified more than 200 unique links through which nature can affect our lives.

www.washingtonpost.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Buddhists make an important distinction in compassion. Idiot compassion means relieving people's distress by helping them feel pleasure in the moment. Wise compassion means helping them persevere through difficult times for a better future. Don't be an idiot! #SocialDistanacing

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Gratitude enhances honesty! Our new paper demonstrating gratitude’s role as a parent virtue (by reducing cheating outside of existing relationships or social exchange) is out. It suggests a new, emotion-based route to build character and resist temptation.

The Grateful Don’t Cheat: Gratitude as a Fount of Virtue - David DeSteno, Fred Duong, Daniel Lim,...

Gratitude has been linked to behaviors involving the exchange of resources; it motivates people to repay debts to benefactors. However, given its links to self-...

journals.sagepub.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

"She writes from the soil up, not the sky down." - @AnandWrites describing why he prefers Lepore's style in "These Truths" to Diamond's "Upheaval." He's right. It's time for serious nonfiction to jettison the bullet-point theory of ideas - one where the framework drives the facts.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Cicero was right: Gratitude is a Parent Virtue! Happy to share a preprint for our paper now in press at Psychological Science showing that gratitude makes people more honest. Additional evidence of a way to nudge virtue from the bottom up.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Excited today to work on our upcoming podcast series examining the how’s and why’s scholars write for the public. Hosted by NYT opinion editor James Ryerson and produced by @joseph_fridman with funding from @templeton_fdn . Coming soon .....

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Cicero was right. Gratitude is a parent virtue. Not only will it increase people's productivity & wellbeing (as people like @AdamMGrant @francescagino & @amywrzesniewski have shown), our new work confirms it'll also increase their honesty. @PsychScience

When Employees Feel Grateful, They’re Less Likely to Be Dishonest

Dishonesty in the workplace can be a major problem for any business. Recent estimates suggest that theft and fraud by employees reduce the profits of U.S. businesses by $50 billion annually. Tradit...

hbr.org

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

For scholars looking to reach a broader audience with their writing, I’m happy to announce the call for our next workshop with New York Times senior editor James Ryerson. Info here:

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Well done @lauriesantos ! And coming to Coursera for those without Yale ID. Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever: Happiness

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

One if the biases of empathy @paulbloomatyale warns about: parochialism. We empathize more with those on our “team” (gender, ideology, etc).

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Effective communication of ideas & information related to life’s big questions is essential, perhaps now more than ever. I’m grateful to @templeton_fdn for a major multi-year investment that will allow our team to continue workshops for scholars wanting to write for the public.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Those who have suffered adversity in life overcome compassion collapse in the face of multiple victims. A reason why is the belief they can help. Nudging efficacy beliefs helps everyone avoid psychic numbing. New work from lab led by Dan Lim now in press

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 months

A wonderful analysis of data for & against Haidt’s social media argument (though it forgets to square correlation, so social media explains 2% of variance in anxiety/depression, not 15%). It hasn’t rewired a generation. But it likely affects certain teens.

What the evidence really says about social media’s impact on teens’ mental health

Did smartphones actually “destroy” a generation?

www.vox.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Quick routes to ego death can be amazing. But with speed comes risk. IMHO, separating the chemicals from the rituals can pose problems. They’re a package. We’ll explore this with ⁦ @michaelpollan ⁩ & ⁦ @ExistWell ⁩ on the next ep of How God Works.

The Rise of Psychedelic Retreats (Published 2021)

Even with cause for concern, retreats in countries like Costa Rica and Jamaica, as well as in the United States, have been popping up for more than a decade.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Our emotions guide our predictions. When they’re calibrated correctly & we have some relevant knowledge, this can be adaptive. When not, it can make our decisions go off the rails. Happy to have discussed this with ⁦ @Pogue ⁩ on ⁦ @CBSSunday ⁩

Coronavirus and the contagion of fear

While stress and anxiety can drive us to take healthy precautions in trying circumstances (like a pandemic), our irrational fear can become dangerous when it goes off the rails

www.cbsnews.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

Excited to say that @RabbiMitelman & I have received a 2 year grant from @TempletonWorld to study the link between gratitude practices (spiritual and secular) and flourishing. We’re looking for a postdoc asap. Feel free to reach out if you’re interested!

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Congratulations to Dr. Fred Duong ( @heyitsmefred ) for a terrific dissertation defense today. We’ll miss him greatly, but glad he’s off to begin a fantastic postdoc in Toronto with Jennifer Stellar!

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

I keep seeing people misunderstand @LFeldmanBarrett ’s position online. It isn’t that specific emotions don’t exist. It’s just that they don’t “exist” in the form that basic emotions theorists have posited. They’re not a natural kind, but they do have explanatory power.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

One of the most thoughtful, well-researched, and balanced pieces on rising childhood anxiety I’ve read. No agenda, except care for the next generation (and their parents). If you have an anxious child, make time to read this. Kudos to ⁦ @katejulian ⁩

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Truly fascinating piece on how grief affects our bodies. But I'll add the reverse is also true: our bodies can alter grief. Mourning rituals of many faiths leverage the body (through certain types of individual & joint movement) to lessen the mind's pain.

The Biology of Grief (Published 2021)

Scientists know that the intense stress of grieving can affect the body in various ways, but much remains a mystery.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

What do St. Ignatius Loyola and modern psychology agree on? Contemplating death clarifies decisions in a way that helps ensure joy and limit regret. Check out my conversation with @JamesMartinSJ & Laura Carstensen for more. @jesuitnews @TheJesuitPost

‎How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality: Contemplating Death: A Secret for Happiness on...

‎Show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality, Ep Contemplating Death: A Secret for Happiness - Oct 31, 2021

podcasts.apple.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

"The easier it is to read, the harder it was to write." "The easier it is to read, the harder it was to write." "The easier it is to read, the harder it was to write." Sorry for the mumbling. Working on book manuscript revisions....

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 year

Grief is the great equalizer. It affects us all. I’m feeling it now; my mom passed away on Friday. I’ve come to cherish this conversation I had with @giorgiobee & Rabbi Buchdahl on grief. I hope it will offer comfort to all who are grieving. It has to me

‎How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality: Grief: Moving Through Loss (2022) on Apple Podcasts

‎Show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality, Ep Grief: Moving Through Loss (2022) - Jan 22, 2023

podcasts.apple.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

@jaketapper That’s why sacrifice and bravery are character virtues while indignation and hypocrisy aren’t ....

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Working on a series of video conversations for @affectScience called "3 Questions." Content: 3 Questions, 2 affective scientists, 1 of whom is interesting (the other is me, the host). We'll release them throughout the year touching on science, career advice, and current events.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

Compassion isn’t a cause of burnout; empathy is. Feeling another’s pain isn’t required to want to help them. In fact, it can get in the way if it goes on too long. Empathy is emotional simulation. Compassion is a feeling of care.

Adam Grant

@AdamMGrant

2 years

Compassion isn't a cause of burnout. It's a source of energy. Data: Being kind to others can reduce cynicism. Being kind to yourself can lessen exhaustion. Kindness restores belonging, control, & confidence. The times when you need a hand are often the best times to extend one.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Finishing up chapter on grief rituals for my next book. It is amazing to me, from a psychological perspective, just how impressive the Jewish shiva is. So many elements that help the mind deal with grief. Even subtle acts like covering mirrors (reduces self-focus) nudge the mind.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Students’ perspectives on @lauriesantos Good Life class. Don’t know whether to smile (for their joys) or cry (for the stress they’re under). But I do know that I’m grateful to Laurie for giving them science-backed tools to make life a better place!

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

9 years

How compassion depends on seeing yourself in the victims. Paris, Beirut, and the "empathy gap" @GrahamDavidA

The Empathy Gap Between Paris and Beirut

Why have attacks in France gotten more attention than bombings in Lebanon?

www.theatlantic.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Two months on sabbatical, 20,000 words written for new book. Feeling good about that. My coffee bill around Harvard Square, not so much....

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

2 years

The paperback version of How God Works is out 2 weeks from today. If you'd like a sneak peek, check out one of my favorite discussions of the book with neuroscientist @LFeldmanBarrett for a glimpse of the science behind the benefits of spiritual practices.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

Happy to say that the first draft of my next book (How God Works) is in. More revising to go, but still something to celebrate. We're facing lots of trials (plague, grief, loneliness). It's my hope that a scientific perspective on how religious practices can help will be useful.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

September 1 means the start of sabbatical for me. Grateful to @harvardcpl for hosting me at The @Kennedy_School while I work on my next book. Friends, if you’ll be crossing Harvard Square this coming semester, stop by for a visit.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Reason is an important tool, but it’s not a panacea. Approaches to changing decision architecture and behavior need to be more psychologically holistic.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Honored to have a wonderful set of guests for Season 1, including @michaelpollan @JamesMartinSJ @SharonSalzberg @AliaCrum @paulbloomatyale @xygalatas @RabbiMitelman @paulcndn @dianabutlerbass @erikvance @caspertk @ExistWell Laura Carstensen, Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche & Kate Long

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

I'm beginning to think grants would work better as lotteries. The time it takes to write them is completely out of whack with the odds of success. (Can you tell I'm writing a grant today?)

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

8 months

@cnalive @JamesMartinSJ While many younger adults are leaving traditional faiths, there is a small but growing counter-trend of embracing greater orthodoxy. We talked with @firstthingsmag Julia Yost and others about why this is.

What’s Old is New Again — How God Works

It’s not news that the US is becoming more secular. People have been drifting away from religion for decades, and that trend is accelerating right now in people under 40. But there is a small but...

www.howgodworks.org

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

9 months

Folks, this isn’t how the brain works. What we call emotions are brain states. There’s no emotion center that overrides other networks. And all “emotional states” alter predictions and subsequent processes. 1/n

Advice | Anger overwhelms our thinking brain. Here’s how to bring it back online.

When we are angry, our emotional brain goes into overdrive, and we act first rather than think first.

www.washingtonpost.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

Looking forward to @affectScience 's annual meeting. Stop by to check out a preview of our new series: Three Questions. I ask leading affective scientists, what else: three questions. Come to hear their insights, career advice, and other stuff you won't hear in their usual talks.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

This on the day US hit 83,000 infections in a single day. Cases are surging. In January students will be coming from all over US at a peak infection time (unlike late summer). NU is in a city, not isolated in rural area. I’m embarrassed for my university.

Northeastern will require most professors to teach on-campus in spring - The Boston Globe

Northeastern considers the move safe because it has contained the virus through frequent testing and strict adherence to safety protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing, David Madigan,...

www.bostonglobe.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 months

The mixing of religion & political identity is destructive and can foment violence. @matthewjdowd is right about the threat from Christian Nationalism. I talked with Miroslav Volf about how this happens when a religious practice is "thin" vs "thick."

Matthew Dowd

@matthewjdowd

4 months

the gravest danger to our constitutional democracy isn't marxism, or socialism, or radical islam, or undocumented human beings coming into America, the most profound danger today comes from christian nationalism.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

“One of the leading psychologists of our time has discovered the keys to success: our emotions. They give us strength, they help us stick to our goals, they make us better friends.... Emotional Success is a beautifully written and very important book.” - @paulbloomatyale

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

This is another example of the wisdom of spiritual practices (like those I mention below in the @wired piece), and one that science needs to take seriously to help find ways to use the power of psychedelics appropriately. @michaelpollan

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Congratulations to my colleagues at ⁦ @UCLA ⁩! This is $20 million well spent. Kindness and compassion research should be a top priority everywhere.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

As many are feeling stressed & overwhelmed with the magnitude of suffering caused by COVID-19, let me offer some wisdom from @SharonSalzberg . Meditation not only helps you deal with that pain and distress, but also empowers you to combat it: to do good.

Finding Peace, Compassion, and Strength in Troubled Times

Sharon Salzberg and David DeSteno discuss using mindfulness to ﬁnd compassion and equanimity, and to foster justice in these trying times.

www.youtube.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

New working paper: Gratitude nudges people toward sustaining rapidly depleting resources. Grateful people lean more toward a strategy of unconditional cooperation in a public goods game, even where norm for others is to behave selfishly (over-extract).

Gratitude Reduces Consumption of Depleting Resources

Sustaining finite public resources presents a dilemma between acting in self-interest for present benefit versus working toward long-term collective gain. Given gratitude’s links to prosociality and...

osf.io

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

And so the podcast adventure begins! Looking forward to telling you about it in the fall when we formally announce. But for now, grateful to guests for sharing their wisdom with me.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

If we're going to beat COVID-19, we need self-control: to socially distance, to avoid hoarding, to sacrifice in many ways. We do difficult things because we feel we should: moral emotions give us power to do what's right. Re-upping from @poptech

Emotional intelligence for success

What underlies success? Self-control, according to psychology professor David DeSteno. But why are we still so bad it? DeSteno argues that our understanding of self-control,…

vimeo.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 months

Brad is so right. I’m not a person of faith (agnostic here). But data are clear, and that’s why as a social scientist, I run a pod called How God Works. We need to understand how & why spirituality enhances health & wellbeing. And that means dropping hubris against religion. 1/2

Brad Wilcox

@BradWilcoxIFS

5 months

If you follow media outlets like @thenation or @NewYorker , you probably think faith is an obstacle to living your best life or realizing your best love. But the data 📈 point in a different direction👇🏼

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

7 years

Cover for my new book (out Jan 2018) is here! Yeah, I know, Jan is a long way off. But exciting still. Preview here:

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

My colleague & friend ⁦ @LFeldmanBarrett ⁩ makes excellent points here. As a scientist who uses confederate-heavy designs to study behavior in context, work is slow (running 1 participant at a time). We value these designs, but it means fewer papers.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Grateful for the opportunity to talk emotions, morality, self-control, & success with my “lab brother” @peez & @tamler on @verybadwizards

Very Bad Wizards Episode 132: Emotional Willpower (with David DeSteno)

What's the best way to build self-control, patience, productivity, and delayed marshmallow eating? For decades psychologists and economists have told us to develop traits like willpower and grit. But...

verybadwizards.fireside.fm

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 year

This is such an honest & thoughtful discussion of the teen mental health crisis. No agenda. Much intellectual humility. ⁦ @LDamour ⁩ follows the data, thinking about them deeply based on experience. It’s not a TED talk. It captures the complexity.

Opinion | Our Obsession With Wellness Is Hurting Teens — and Adults (Published 2023)

The clinical psychologist Lisa Damour offers an on-the-ground look at the mental health crisis teenagers are facing.

www.nytimes.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Pre-order now for good (and practicable) summer reading. Out in June 2019 by @zakijam : The War for Kindness

The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World

www.amazon.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 year

We had a great conversation about the tools spiritual & philosophical traditions offer to help stem rising stress & depression in Gen Z, and how embracing some of those ideas might help change the larger structural forces underlying the problem. Look for the episode in June!

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

Great finding! Reinforces the notion that perceived similarity enhances compassion and prosociality. One way to nudge virtue, then, is to design interventions that highlight links with others.

Jamil Zaki

@zakijam

6 years

Super interesting new work: people who live in diverse countries or zip codes act more prosocially, in part bc they identify more with people of all sorts.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

9 years

My new piece for The Atlantic. "The Kindness Cure: How Meditation Builds Compassion" http://t.co/vUlLT6pHZs

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

5 years

Beware the corporate bearers of “emotion reading” snake oil, er I mean tech. It’s the next wave of “neuromarketing” meant to soak up billions without any real proof it works.

Lisa Feldman Barrett

@LFeldmanBarrett

5 years

"There is no scientific support for the common assumption that a person’s emotional state can be readily inferred from his or her facial movements." (The ACLU cites a review of over 1000 research papers by a panel of 5 scientists, including myself.)

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

3 years

“And so, in the end, the argument for caring about intention is an argument for charity—for treating a stranger or even an enemy like someone we care about.”-⁦ @paulbloomatyale ⁩. It’s why generous-tit-for-tat works best: a way to correct for mistakes.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 year

So proud that How God Works is nominated for an Ambie as one of the Best Personal Growth / Spirituality podcasts of 2022! So grateful for my amazing team @prx and to @templeton_fdn for support. Good luck to all the nominees.

The Podcast Academy

@podcastacademy

1 year

These are the nominees for Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast. Best of luck to all of the Nominees!! #theambies #podcastawards @pushkinpods @COPublicRadio @prx @daviddesteno @TEDTalks @melrobbins @slightchangepod

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

6 years

With New Years approaching, a good time to re-up ⁦ @olgakhazan ⁩ and I discussing why three emotions offer a better way than willpower to reach your goals in 2019. ⁦ @TheAtlantic ⁩ #EmotionalSuccess paperback out Jan 1.

The 3 Emotions That Help You Get Things Done

The surprising failure of willpower—and what works better.

www.theatlantic.com

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

I once worked with @Facebook as a consultant. I won't again. They are a private company & have the ability to stand up for truth & prevent disinformation from ANY side. Failing to do that makes them complicit in degrading the republic. It makes them cowards and shows their greed.

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

1 year

Scientists like @RichardDawkins & @sapinker argue religion & spirituality are plagues on a rational mind. Yet data show those who engage in spiritual practices live healthier & happier lives. Join me to explore the science behind why & how to use it. @prx

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David DeSteno

@daviddesteno

4 years

More evidence that meditation increases altruism. Here, those who engaged in meditation donated more to charity. In our work, we find an analog: those who meditate are more willing to aid a stranger in distress. Some great reasons to begin meditating during COVID-19 epidemic.

Nicholas A. Christakis

@NAChristakis

4 years

So mindfulness meditation may increase social cooperation (especially in subjects with low baseline willingness to contribute). This work from our lab #HNL was spearheaded by former Post-Doc Akihiro Nishi now @UCLA (not on twitter) & included @mqdicer 4/

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