Thomas Suddendorf, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland. He is the author of The Gap: The Science of What Separates Us from Other Animals.
Age-related cognitive decline is a particularly unwelcome prospect, driving a vast industry promoting potions, programs, and pointers. Could attitude matter?
Because we can conceive of multiple versions of the future branching from the present, we have an intuitive sense of free will and can devise ways to tip fortune in our favor.
At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.