Why it's bad to be a lazy thinker

Between work, kids, household chores, and other responsibilities, many of us are left with depleted physical and mental resources at the end of the day.

However, I've observed that even on weekends -- when we have more spare time to read, write, play Sudoku, or engage in other mentally-stimulating activities -- many people still opt to do things that require minimal thinking, such as sifting through Facebook posts or binge-watching The Real Housewives of Potomac.

Mind you, there's nothing wrong with these kinds of things. But while I'm all for giving the mind a rest at certain points throughout the day, I can't go more than a couple of hours without wanting to learn something new -- whether it's the meaning of a word I came across in an article or about President Trump's latest economic proposals.

I'm on a seemingly never-ending quest to expand my vocabulary and gain as much insight into the world -- and the human mind -- as I possibly can. I try my best to sate that intellectual curiosity by reading books, writing blog posts, watching educational documentaries, and visiting museums.

I realize, though, that not everyone shares the same willingness/disposition to learn new things.

I recognize, for example, that counting Jeopardy! and CSPAN history programming among my favorite shows puts me in the minority.

The point here is not that everyone should become a bookworm, watch only quiz shows, and play Scrabble for fun.

It's that we should make a conscious effort to do things every once in a while that involve mental rigor -- whether reading instructions to assemble a bookshelf, proofreading a nephew's book report, playing a game of chess with a friend, or investing the time to learn the history of destinations you're considering traveling to.

Thinking critically and creatively keeps the mind sharp and improves memory -- something we all need as we age.

The way I see it, human beings don't come endowed with superhero powers. We can't fly. We can't shoot fireballs. We can't teleport or wield an invisibility shield.

We do, however, have a brain and the capacity to boost its power.

And how exactly can we amplify our brainpower? By feeding the mind knowledge.
A person armed with knowledge is a powerful person indeed. Thus, knowledge itself is power.

My social psychology professor in college put it rather succinctly: "We are cognitive misers." We are inclined toward conserving our cognitive resources as much as we can.

And there's no question that as technology becomes more and more sophisticated, our reliance on it to complete the simplest of tasks will only grow.

It's important we give our brains a little exercise here and there. Challenging ourselves to learn and retain information will not only serve to sharpen our cognitive skills, but make us wiser and better informed.

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...

How to Read People

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