“We assume heroes are demigods. But they’re not. A hero is just an ordinary person who does something extraordinary. I believe we can use science to teach people how to do that.”
—Philip G. Zimbardo, PhD, on his Heroic Imagination Project, a nonprofit that seeks to put experimental research to use in training the next generation of exemplary Americans.
Wall Street Journal, Dec. 11
“Orthorexia boils down to someone who is very, very concerned with eating what they consider the perfect diet. This is someone who takes healthy eating to an extreme and feels good about it. ”
—University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine clinical psychologist Joy Jacobs, PhD, in an article on the apparent spread of this condition.
U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 14
“You do judge a book by its cover, but a beautiful book leads you to read it more closely.”
—Jeremy Biesanz, PhD, of the University of British Columbia, on the finding that we judge the personalities of attractive people more accurately.
U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 29