This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
For the past decade, I've had the privilege of writing the Beautiful Minds blog, starting with Psychology Today in 2008 and moving the blog over to Scientific American in 2013. The blog has given me the opportunity to write about a wide range of topics that fascinate me-- including intelligence, creativity, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, narcissism, introversion, fulfillment, and well-being. While this has been very gratifying, I just haven't had the time to write as frequently or as broadly as I would have liked. I'm excited to announce that starting today, that's about to change.
Starting this month, I will be writing a weekly online column for Scientific American that will cover the latest scientific findings from a wide range of topics relating to the human mind, human nature, and the variation that exists around universal human themes. In particular, my focus will be on intelligence, creativity, personality, and well-being, with an attempt to see broader patterns among these areas of inquiry that sometimes don't talk to each other. Researchers are making great strides in our understanding of each of these areas, but there tends to be a lack of integration across these fields.
For instance: What is the relationship between intelligence and creativity? Can intelligence and creativity sometimes be antagonistic with each other? What about the relationship between personality and well-being? What are the optimal ways of being for living the good life? What are the implications of these findings for society? For education? For business? For politics? For healing the divides that seem to be growing larger by the day? For increasing understanding of our shared humanity while not sweeping real individual differences under the rug?
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I hope this column will lead to stimulating new questions and avenues for investigation, while increasing our knowledge of the reality of the world. It is my continued belief that the best way to create change is when such attempts are built on a real foundation.
If any of this interests you, I encourage you to bookmark this page and come join me in this ongoing journey of understanding and exploration. I also encourage you to weigh in on the comments section. I'm always happy to have my ideas challenged and my worldview expanded.
© 2018 Scott Barry Kaufman, All Rights Reserved