Chances are there's someone in your midst who carries an ego bigger than the state of Texas. They're heavily preoccupied with looking good in front of others. They can't bear to lose, whether a promotion to a colleague or a game of chess to a friend. They have an unquenchable thirst to come out on top, no matter the cost. Why is it that some people have such oversized egos?  The answer lies in something known as the egocentric bias . First coined in 1980 by Anthony Greenwald, a psychologist at Ohio State University, egocentric bias is the tendency to depend too heavily on one's own perspective and/or have a higher opinion of oneself than reality. It stems from the psychological need to satisfy one's ego, which research suggests can be advantageous for memory consolidation. As it turns out, ideas, beliefs, and experiences are more easily recalled when they match one's own, inducing an egocentric perspective. The effects of egocentric bias can vary based...

Studies have revealed that if you're inclined to reminisce about past events, you'd be wise to turn to pictures, movies, and/or music. Such media, the studies suggest, help us recall prior events and experiences that we may have trouble recollecting otherwise. And this makes complete sense. How many times have you heard a song that has taken you back to your high school days? How many times have you looked at pictures that have brought back memories of old friends or flames? And how often have you watched a movie and wondered what you were doing in your life when the movie was originally released? I consider pictures, movies, and music to be windows to our past. I love employing these mediums to take a trip down memory lane and remember some of happiest moments I've ever experienced up until now. Don't ever neglect taking a camera or tape recorder with you whenever you're slated to experience a potentially life-altering event. It'll give you somethin...