Depression is not generalized pessimism, but pessimism specific to the effects of one's own skilled action.

Until you appreciate something crucial - It is incredibly easy to manipulate us as to who counts as an Us, who as a Them.

The regulation of genes is often more interesting than the genes themselves, and it's the environment that regulates genes.

The frontal cortex doesn't even fully develop until age 25, which is wild!

...I might continue to believe that there is no god even if it were proved that there is. A religious friend of mine once remarked that the concept of god is useful, because you can berate god during the bad times. But it is clear to me that I don't need to believe there is a god in order to berate him.

Depression is not generalized pessimism, but pessimism specific to the effects of one's own skilled action.

But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves sick.