The Most Tortured Relationship in America
Monogamy is one of the last bipartisan ideals—even if people struggle to live up to it.
Family
In Praise of ‘Difficult’ Kids
Feisty children can be exhausting. They also possess a moral fire that deserves cultivating.
The Endless Goodbye
More than a decade before my dad died, I lost him to dementia.
Everyone Thinks They Need a NeeDoh
But no one can find one.
What We Get Wrong About Emotions
Fear, excitement, disgust: These feelings don’t deflect us from good judgment. They help guide it.
Resolutions Are Not the Vibe for 2022
If we can’t let go of frantic self-improvement nearly two years into a pandemic, when can we?
These Long-Distance Friends Reunite Every New Year’s Like No Time Has Passed
“It’s a perfect combination of all the things that friendship should be, put into a tiny piece of space-time every year.”
I Have Some Questions About the World of Teletubbies
Where do they come from? Are they prisoners? Are we complicit in their captivity? Why do my children love them so?
Give Your Money. Give Your Time. Don’t Tell Anyone.
You can find deep, lasting happiness in a good deed that no one knows you did.
How I Demolished My Life
A home-improvement story
All Hail Dead Week, the Best Week of the Year
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a time when nothing counts, and when nothing is quite real.
The Cure for Holiday Blues
You’ll enjoy the season more if you lower your expectations.
Superficial Interests Don’t Matter for Friends Who Agree on the Big Things
“Our friendship shows that if people have grace and compassion with one another, if that’s your priority in your relationships, then it doesn’t matter what you share. It doesn’t matter where you differ.”
Procrastinate This, Not That
Putting things off can improve your performance—if you do it right.