People will go to ridiculous lengths to avoid paying fees. Adding extra items to an online order just to get “free” shipping. Avoiding ATM fees like they’re a personal insult. Or driving across town to save a few cents on gas. There’s actually a fascinating psychology behind why humans hate fees so much—and why “free” has such unusual power over our decisions. ⁠https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/page-one-economics/2025/apr/psychology-of-free-how-price-of-zero-influences-decisionmaking⁠ (more…)

Fear can save your life—or quietly ruin it.. Fear keeps you alert, helps you avoid danger, and in many situations can literally save your life. Without fear, humans probably wouldn’t survive very long. But fear also has another side. (more…)

Dog owners tend to live longer and be healthier than people without dogs. But why would owning a dog have such a powerful effect on your health? The answer turns out to be surprisingly fascinating—especially when it comes to what dogs may be doing for children. ⁠https://hi.umn.edu/news/health-perks-pet-ownership⁠ (more…)

Most people assume being rich would solve almost every problem in life. More freedom. Less stress. More happiness. But psychologists who work with wealthy families say money—especially when people grow up with a lot of it—can create a surprising set of emotional and psychological problems that few outsiders ever see. Source: Dr. Stephen Berglas author of ⁠Reclaiming the Fire (https://amzn.to/3VjeRIS).⁠ (more…)

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” We’ve all heard it countless times. But where did that idea come from—and is it actually true? Researchers have taken a much closer look at breakfast and the findings may surprise you. Source: ⁠https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l42⁠ (more…)