It doesn't take many observations to think you've spotted a trend, and it's probably not a trend at all.

Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.

You're surprised by something, but you don't really know what surprised you; you recognize someone, but you don't really know what cues cause you to recognize that person.

The evidence is unequivocal, there's a great deal more luck than skill in people getting very rich.

We can't live in a state of perpetual doubt, so we make up the best story possible and we live as if the story were true.

One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent.

It is the consistency of the information that matters for a good story, not its completeness. Indeed, you will often find that knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.