Self Improvement

Curated by our editorsStories to fuel your mind

These 3 Zodiac Signs Miss the Early 2000s the Most

These three zodiac signs would go back to the early 2000s if they could.

Six Conversations That Will Unlock Your Relationships, From First Date to Old Friends

From your children to those who have hurt us – these are the discussions we should be having, but aren’t.

3 Basic Compass Skills Everyone Should Learn

Advances in GPS technology are no replacement for basic navigation skills.

Why You Should Be More Willing to Admit When You Don’t Know Something

Your willingness to admit what you don’t know often increases people’s trust in you, says this cognitive scientist.

What Can We Learn from Broken Things?

The smashed, fractured, and non-functional can frustrate us—and illuminate who we are.

If You Don’t Rename Tables in Excel, Today’s the Day to Start

By default, tables in Excel are named Table1, Table2, Table3, and so on. However, you don't have to stick with these labels. In fact, it's better if you don't! In this quick guide, I'll explain why you should always rename tables in Excel and show you how to do this.

daniel-kahneman-death-suicide

I'm a former recruiter for Google and Indeed. If I were labeled an underperformer, here's what I'd do next.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Erica Rivera, a 37-year-old career coach now living in Barcelona. It has been edited for length and clarity. Before becoming a career coach, I worked as a recruiter for Indeed for three years and Google for roughly another two.

Help! My Mom Refuses to Get My Fiancé’s Name Right.

Dear Prudence is Slate’s advice column. Submit questions here. My mother doesn’t care for my fiancé and makes it a point to never get his name right. What can I do about this?

I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings

The question I’m a man in my late 50s. My parents were teenagers when I was born. They married so I wouldn’t be illegitimate, it was the 1960s. My parents divorced. My mum and stepdad moved up north, my father remarried and stayed down south.

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My Friend Won’t Speak to Me After I Blabbed About Her Secret Lover. Help!

One of my roommates began secretly sleeping with the ex-boyfriend of a good friend. The breakup was five months ago, but my roommate started talking to him right away. I accidentally let it slip to someone, and then, out of guilt, told all my roommates about the affair.

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

A Note on Paywalls In order to publish compelling original work and pay writers a living wage, publications sometimes have paywalls.

I Received a Call From a Woman I Didn’t Know. She Insisted We Meet Up. Then She Told Me Something That Will Destroy My Wife.

How to Do It is Slate’s sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Jessica and Rich here. It’s anonymous! I have a job that takes me to different cities every few years. I’m also married and have a wife. I’m a straight male, who is 40 years old. We’ve been married for 15 years.

6 Ways To Strategically Handle Rude Team Members Without Being Fired

, Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Cheryl Robinson covers areas of leadership, pivoting and careers. Few workplace challenges are as emotionally draining as dealing with rude colleagues.

Fashionable Nonsense

Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves by Alison Wood Brooks. Crown, 336 pages. 2025. You’ve heard the rumors. People named Dennis are more likely to become dentists. If you do a little ritual before you go on stage, you’ll perform better.

Curated by our editorsStories to fuel your mind

These 3 Zodiac Signs Miss the Early 2000s the Most

Six Conversations That Will Unlock Your Relationships, From First Date to Old Friends

3 Basic Compass Skills Everyone Should Learn

Why You Should Be More Willing to Admit When You Don’t Know Something

What Can We Learn from Broken Things?

Popular with Pocket readersStories from across the web

If You Don’t Rename Tables in Excel, Today’s the Day to Start

daniel-kahneman-death-suicide

I'm a former recruiter for Google and Indeed. If I were labeled an underperformer, here's what I'd do next.

Help! My Mom Refuses to Get My Fiancé’s Name Right.

I’m nearly 60, but my father’s indifference towards me still stings

Discover More Topics

My Friend Won’t Speak to Me After I Blabbed About Her Secret Lover. Help!

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

I Received a Call From a Woman I Didn’t Know. She Insisted We Meet Up. Then She Told Me Something That Will Destroy My Wife.

6 Ways To Strategically Handle Rude Team Members Without Being Fired

Fashionable Nonsense

Discover More Topics