Psychology

You’re at a job interview, everything is going well, and then the interviewer offers you a cup of coffee. Seems like a simple act of hospitality, right? Well... Some hiring managers use this as a secret test to evaluate candidates in ways that aren’t listed in the job description. This is called the Coffee Cup test, and it’s more revealing than you might think.

New moms often have to face the challenge of breastfeeding their kid in public while hoping no one will make any comments about it. Unfortunately, many people find it outrageous, and as a mom, you might feel the need to apologize for it. But this isn’t something you should apologize for, because it’s something natural and harmless, and it’s only done for the good of your baby.

We tend to think that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But, as a study suggests, this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Standards of attractiveness are, indeed, broadly shared, however, our personal preferences play quite a big role too.

Childhood, a time when we’re taken care of as fragile and vulnerable people is quite different than adulthood. As adults, we begin to follow a new set of rules and understand over time that we’re interesting to ourselves only. There’s no one to push us toward success, give us their shoulder to cry on, or praise us when we’ve done something good. And ultimately, there are always going to be people who are smarter, better, and more attractive than us.

There are some phrases that people use as guidelines in their lives. But very often, our experience tells us that they are not really true. Of course, phrases like, “Looks don’t matter,” or “If you tell me the truth you won’t get into trouble,” are partially true, but there are a lot of nuances.

Double standards mean applying the same rule or situation differently to one group of people than to another. Perhaps the most wide-spread double standards can be seen in gender-related matters but are also there in every other sphere of our lives. The most surprising thing is that oftentimes we ourselves apply those standards to the people surrounding us and don’t even notice it.

We all have to apologize and accept apologies in awkward situations from time to time. However, sometimes apologies aren’t as sincere as we tend to think they are. Saying sorry and not really meaning it is the same as lying. And when someone makes the statement, “I’m sorry,” but doesn’t take responsibility for their misdeed, it’s called a “non-apology apology.”

The demand for the services of psychotherapists keeps growing every year. Alas, not each person is lucky enough to be born with parents who resemble the characters of a book about a happy family. Sometimes mothers and fathers criticize and mock their children, ignore them, or compare them with other siblings.

Bright Side took the liberty to draw funny and honest comics about the differences between men and women. And yes, we’ve got our peculiarities, but remember, the main thing is that even though we’re different, we just can’t live without one another.

For many years, our parents and grandparents have lived by a set of rules that were considered normal. “Get married when you’re 20 years old,” “That’s not for men,” “Boys don’t cry” — how many times have we heard something like this? But life goes on, the times are changing, and now we see many things from a different angle.

We’ve all had moments where we wished we could read what others were thinking, pretending we were superheroes that could read minds. But what if we told you that you can actually read people just by observing their body language?Despite the power of words, sometimes they can be translated differently with the wrong body movements or gestures. Yet, most of our body language is connected to our subconscious mind, and we find ourselves doing things that come out so naturally, we only realize it after doing it.

To figure out how a person feels about you, you don’t have to be straightforward and ask them right away. It’s enough to pay closer attention to the body language of this person. Their gestures can reveal a lot about them.

All of us have probably experienced situations where we’ve entered a grocery store to buy bread and left with bags full of different foods. And we’re lucky if bread was among those foods, otherwise, we had to go back to the store again. Why does this happen?

Scientists say that smart people don’t pay much attention to other people’s advice. Moreover, people, in general, tend to rely on their own opinion more. However, we keep hearing some phrases so often that it seems they have been recorded in our brains, from “be smart,” to “don’t react,” to “follow your dreams.”

The longer a relationship is, the more valuable it is. It’s difficult to stop communicating with old friends but sometimes, it’s absolutely necessary. A good friendship can become weaker over the years and may even prove useless for both parties involved.

The difference between men and women does exist but it’s not as big as it’s believed to be. And, of course, these differences are no reason to say that one of the sexes is better than the other. In most cases, gender prejudice is related to women, but men also suffer from discrimination. Saying that “boys don’t cry” is just one example of toxic masculinity — a set of rules for men that continually prevents them from living life to the fullest.

Almost all of us have experienced rude remarks, backhanded compliments, offensive jokes, and even overt insults. These situations leave us feeling uncomfortable and wondering which response is right. The good news is there are many ways to stand up for yourself without coming off as offensive or aggressive, and without letting their words get under your skin.

In society, we may often notice that the same actions can be assessed differently. Certain behavior is acceptable for one group of people or a certain person and is frowned upon for others. In some cases, it’s men who are discriminated against, and in other instances, it’s women that are judged. The actions of people who differ in age or the way they look can also be interpreted subjectively.

In accordance with this study, only 50% of those people who we consider our friends think the same thing in return. These people may spend time with us because they want to get something from us or they think that having a lot of friends is good for their image. But even if your friendship began with mutual interest this might change to something completely different in time. Of course, misunderstandings and fights can happen even between the dearest of friends, but if these relationships make you feel uncomfortable on a regular basis and often upset you, maybe it’s time to think about whether or not you need to continue them.

An empath is a person who feels for those around them and often receives their emotions like their own. This is why people often turn to them for advice and compassion. However, not everyone who pays attention to others’ problems is an empath. There are some clear signs that can reveal if you are an empath or not, and some of them might truly surprise you.

We bet every parent has come across unsolicited advice on how to raise their kids at least once in their life. Neighbors, relatives, and friends are eager to share their “priceless” experiences and opinions on how the baby and their parents should behave and build their lives. At the same time, most of them simply don’t take into account the fact that a method that worked with one kid can be absolutely non-applicable to another one.

It goes without saying that you need to find a unique approach to raising every child, but there are some common golden rules that will help you connect with even the most disobedient kid. Paul Raeburn and Kevin Zollman in their work "The Theory of Games for Parents" argue that the classic strategy of game theory will help teach children to come to fair agreements on their own, make them more obedient, and help them to build friendly relationships with their parents.

Let’s face it, no one knows every little detail when getting hired for a new job. There isn’t a global rule book that tells you what to do and what to avoid doing. These are things that come with experience and after making quite a few mistakes first. Yes, you know the basics like being civil and polite, but you still need to learn what to say when your boss asks you something tricky.

There are 7 basic personality traits of difficult people. They include grandiosity, aggressiveness, callousness, suspiciousness, manipulation, risk-taking, and domineering. And while there’s nothing we can do to make these people more easygoing, we can help ourselves by being prepared for the next time we face an argument with this kind of person.