No, this isn't the post where I confess a shameful personal secret. In the current issue of The Atlantic, there's an interesting article on alcohol, drinking, and intoxication that hints at some deeper…

Not long ago, I was speaking with someone very wealthy. She was telling me how much happier she and her husband were once they sold off a few of their mansions around the globe, got rid of half their staff, and downsized their possessions across the board. Having all that stuff -- even when they could hire staff to…

"There's lies, damned lies, and statistics." -- Mark Twain



Recently, a controversial new study was released in which the…

Recently I got into a disagreement with another that quickly degenerated into a heated exchange -- primarily on his end. It began over a trivial but untrue statement that he made. Unwisely, I responded bluntly with the proven (and verifiably accurate) facts. Instead of conceding his error, he became enraged and the…

I'd delighted to be informed that The Bliss Experiment: 28 Days to Personal Transformation has won the Nautilus Silver Award for Best Personal Growth / Self-Help / Psychology book for the 2013 award year. Thank you to everyone for you support and appreciation.

The award is explained thusly:

The Nautilus Book Awards is a unique awards program that recognizes books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living and positive social change. We also value books…

Recently, as I was driving across town to volunteer at a homeless shelter (and running late), I realized traffic was moving even slower than usual for LA. It turns out that streets were blocked and cops out in full force because there was…

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the biggest problems we face today. With hundreds of thousands of soldiers returning home from two brutal wars (not to mention all the covert/secret wars going on) -- plus the unceasing number of school shootings, terrorist attacks, sexual assaults, violent crimes,…

The Boston Marathon bombings have once again brought the specter of terrorism front and center into our lives. Because these events provoke an often jumbled range of thoughts and emotions, it's helpful to take just a…

Lance Armstrong has been in the news--in a very bad way--lately. USADA just released a 200 page report detailing Armstrong's elaborate, multi-year cheating effort, covering all of his Tour de France…

Like many people, I love watching the Olympics (which just set a ratings record for a non-US-based games). I regularly tune into both the summer and winter games. And…

There's an oft-repeated adage, you can't con a con man. The idea is that a dishonest person, because of their vast experience at being dishonest, can spot the dishonesty in others. There's also the implication that the con artist is wise in a world-weary sense: perhaps a bit cynical and pessimist but also less gullible…

For the past couple of months, I've been touring the country, doing speaking engagements, book signings, and media appearances for The Bliss Experiment. (As an aside, I apologize for the gap in adding new posts and responses to this site, not only have I been on tour but I've also been occupied writing articles for other media outlets including CBS News, Huffington Post, and Ask Men--but now I'm back and will be participating up a storm on theblissexperiment.com!)

One of the key…

A new study, released this week, shows that Americans stress levels have been steadily climbing for the past 25 years.

Think about that for a moment:…

Have you heard about the story of Brian Banks? He was a top high school football player and prospect for major colleges in 2002, when he was 16, but falsely convicted of kidnapping and raping a girl in Long…

Is it possible that our beliefs--even "good" ones for the right reasons--make us unhappy and the world a worse place?



A new study, titled "Wholesome Foods and Wholesome Morals? Organic Foods Reduce Pro-social Behavior and Harshen Moral Judgments" and published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science indicates just that. (…

The new Avengers film was just released this weekend and has been setting box office records in the US and across the…

This past weekend, I went with some friends to see the Dalai Lama speak in Long Beach.



Outside the Long Beach Convention Center was a small group of protesters railing against the Dalai Lama, claiming he is a hypocrite for…

New research sheds light on one of the most commonly repeated phrases in our culture: people don't really ever change. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. A leopard doesn't change its spots. The more things change, the more they remain the same.



We all encountered numerous examples of this. People who claim they've changed but really haven't. Or tell us it's going to be different this…

While few of us enjoy feeling stressed, you might have told yourself that it's not big deal, you can handle it. Or maybe you've convinced yourself that although it'smaking you unhappy, there's no real consequence to stress other than a little personal discomfort. You can handle it. Maybe you even think that…

The possible existence of extraterrestrial life is one of the most fascinating and controversial subjects speculated upon today. Recently published research continues to indicate that it's highly likely that…