human behavior

  • How to Stop Saying ‘Like’ (and Other Distracting Filler Words)

    How to Stop Saying ‘Like’ (and Other Distracting Filler Words)

    If you’ve ever listened to someone, like, pepper everything they say with, like, a never-ending litany of likes, ums, or ahs, you know it can be distracting and — whether fair or not — can diminish what they’re saying. We all occasionally lean on verbal crutches, or what academics call “disfluencies” when we’re nervous, distracted,…


  • Watch Out for These Friendship Red Flags

    Watch Out for These Friendship Red Flags

    When we think of toxic people and relationships, romantic partners, family members, and bosses tend to come to mind first. But friends can also fall into that category. Whether it’s someone you’ve known for years — but you’re only now realising is manipulative — or a person you’ve met more recently, people we consider “friends”…


  • You’re Probably Using These Psychological Terms Wrong on Social Media

    You’re Probably Using These Psychological Terms Wrong on Social Media

    When I first joined TikTok in 2020, I couldn’t go a day without seeing videos about narcissists, “toxic” exes, or emotionally absent parents. While narcissists obviously do exist, the content was so prevalent that you’d be forgiven for thinking narcissists were as common as people named Bob. Narcissism had become the new “OCD” — that…