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

It was always assumed I would be a professor. I grew up thinking it.

The experiencing self lives in the moment; it is the one that answers the question, 'Does it hurt?' or 'What were you thinking about just now?' The remembering self is the one that answers questions about the overall evaluation of episodes or periods of one's life, such as a stay in the hospital or the years since one left college.

I don't try to be clever at all. The idea that I could see what no one else can is an illusion.

Political columnists and sports pundits are rewarded for being overconfident.

My impression is that the elimination of memories greatly reduces the value of the experience.

We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.