Once in a while, an unlikely American hero emerges from an Olympic games, and that hero at the 2024 Paris Olympics might just be Team USA's glasses-wearing pommel horse specialist, Stephen Nedoroscik. The 25-year-old gymnast from Worcester, Massachusetts, helped break Team USA's 16-year Olympic medal drought, clinching the bronze and launching him to viral fame with his epic team final performance. It's not just that he delivered when it counted most; it's the unexpectedness of his story. Nedoroscik showed up to the Olympics looking less like an elite gymnast and more like a guy getting a PhD in astrophysics. He had one job, and he cheered for his teammates while waiting for his big moment. And then, in true hero fashion, he took of his thick, wide-rimmed glasses and performed superhuman feats on the pommel horse. — (@) But that's not all. As writer Whitney Fleming pointed out, there's an important life lesson buried in Nedoroscik's story that shouldn't get lost in the celebration. "Sometimes, the world needs a Simone Biles to blow us away with raw talent, and sometimes, we need someone like Stephen Nedoroscik to remind us that a nerdy (his words), bespectacled engineer who can solve a Rubik's Cube in under 10 seconds can be a hero," Fleming wrote on Facebook before sharing why she loves his story. "When he didn't progress in gymnastics like he wanted to, he threw himself into the one event he excelled at: the pommel horse. He's won all sorts of competitions as an event specialist, and literally was put on the team because he scores so big on this one apparatus.During today's team finals, he spent the day bringing his teammates water, giving high fives, and cheering on every performance with incredible enthusiasm. And then it was his turn.Nedoroscik was the last athlete to compete on the team's last rotation. He needed to hit his routine for the Americans to end a 16-year medal drought. No pressure.It was a build-up right out of an iconic sports movie (Do you believe in miracles?)While the pressure kept building in the gym, he meditated. A slight smile crept onto his face when he heard the cheers for his teammate's score. And then, like Clark Kent turning into Superman, he took off his jacket, removed his glasses, and puffed out his chest--and HE KILLED IT!"Fleming shared the lesson we can all take from Nedoroscik's unusual success story:"Nedoroscik took an untraditional path to get to the pinnacle of his sport and it paid off with an Olympic Bronze medal.There is no one way to success, there is no one way to do this life, and there is no one way to find your purpose.Be unapologetically and unabashedly you in every way possible, and you might end up the hero of your story as well."That's such an important lesson to share with our kids, who may look at big name athletes and start believing there are limited ways to find success. The reality is every story is unique, every person has their own way of doing things, and there's no "right" path to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.Thank you, Stephen Nedoroscik, for being a delightful example and the hero we didn't know we needed. You can follow Whitney Fleming on Facebook and Instagram, and find her upcoming book, "You're Not a Failure: My Teen Doesn't Like Me Either," here.(And in case you missed Stephen Nedoroscik's team final pommel horse routine, here you go.) — (@)

It’s the run-up to the 2024 election in the United States, and yard signs, bumper stickers and massive flags are popping up everywhere as people try to persuade one another on how to cast their ballots. Some folks have positive stickers with their candidate’s name or a slogan, while others choose to denigrate the other side with nasty remarks.You may see a Democratic voter with a yard sign that says "Trump for prison" or "Trumpism is a cult." Or, you may have a Republican neighbor with a massive flag on their home that says “Let’s Go Brandon” (a slur against Joe Biden) or a car with a bumper sticker that reads: "This Car Runs on Liberal Tears."Interestingly, your neighbor’s sign on his yard may tell you a lot more about them than their political views. A recent study published in the Journal of Research in Personality found it could be a sign that they have what psychologists refer to as the “dark triad” of personality traits: psychopathy.According to Psychology Today, “Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy.” People with the trait are known for being callous, detached and manipulative. “Psychopaths can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, they lack any semblance of conscience,” the site says. An offensive Trump yard sign. via Etsy The discovery was outlined in a recent study published in the Journal of Research in Personality.Participants in the study looked at various T-shirts, hats and buttons with offensive political messages and shared their willingness to wear them in various settings. The study showed that people who showed signs of psychopathy were more likely to display the offensive products. “Dark dispositions are associated with more offensive forms of political expression,” the study’s co-author Matejas Mackin told PsyPost. “In other words, while there are certainly social and political factors that contribute to more polarized forms of expression, the dispositions people bring to the table are also relevant.”The new findings may validate those who secretly wondered whether something might be wrong with the guy up the block with an obnoxious sign on his lawn. But they are also an indicator that the same person may need some help and is struggling with a psychological problem. An anti-Trump 2024 sign. via Printerval.comIf the story's findings attract the public’s attention, they could inspire people who promote negative messages to change how they support their favorite causes and candidates. When people realize that their bumper sticker screams “I’m a psychopath” instead of “I’m a patriot” or “I care about women’s rights,” they may rethink how they share their views.The study's authors hope that it will help people express themselves in a less polarizing way. “The ultimate goal of my work is to understand why we are polarized and develop interventions to address political polarization and the outgroup animosity it engenders,” Mackin said. “To be sure, disagreeing with and disliking the other side is often reasonable, but at the extreme it can fray the fabric of democratic society. Thus, understanding the social and dispositional factors that contribute to polarization is increasingly relevant and necessary.”

There are some people who live under the illusion that everything they say is deeply interesting and have no problem wasting your time by rambling on and on without a sign of stopping. They’re the relative, neighbor or co-worker who can’t take a hint that the conversation is over.Of all these people, the co-worker who can’t stop talking may be the most challenging because you see them every day in a professional setting that requires politeness.There are many reasons that some people talk excessively. Therapist F. Diane Barth writes in Psychology Today that some people talk excessively because they don’t have the ability to process complex auditory signals, so they ramble on without recognizing the subtle cues others are sending. It may also be a case of someone who thinks they’re the most interesting person in the conversation.For others, it’s a symptom of a disorder. Michelle C. Brooten-Brooks, a licensed marriage and family therapist, writes that excessive talking can also be a symptom of, among other things, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or anxiety.“Anxiety can cause someone to speak excessively,” Brooten-Brooks writes at Very Well Health. “While many with social anxiety may avoid social interactions, some may inadvertently talk excessively when in social situations out of nervousness and anxiety.”So what do we do when we're stuck in a situation where someone just keeps talking? A Reddit user by the name of Spritti33 asked for some advice about how to “politely end a conversation with a person who won't stop talking” and received some very practical and funny responses from members of the online forum.A lot of folks pointed out that it’s not impolite to walk away from a person who is incessantly talking because they are being rude by disrespecting your time. Others shared how, in some cultures, there are ways of shutting down a conversation while allowing both parties to save face.Here are 19 of the best responses to Spritti33's question, “How does someone politely end a conversation with a person who won't stop talking?”1. "In Flanders we have a word for it, 'bon,' and then you say something 'I have work to do,' 'It's time to go home,' 'It's time to get drinks.' And people realize the other person wants to leave without being mean," — ISuckAtRacingGames2. "In Ireland we do like a little clap/slap our thigh/clap the person's shoulder and say 'Right! Shur look, I'll let you go...' as if we're being polite and letting the other person off the hook, but actually, it's like get me the fuck out of here haha!" —funky_mugs3."If they keep talking over polite cues, I have found there really isn’t a polite way to exit the conversation," — Binder_Grinder4. "This is so true. People that do this don't care whether you're into the conversation or not, they're talking simply because they want to. I've gotten better at just interjecting (even mid-sentence if I've already tried everything else) with, 'I'm sorry, I have to go. (start walking away at this point) It was nice talking to you.' Don't give any excuses or reasons for leaving, just do it otherwise they'll try to talk about your reasons." — PSSaalamader5. "As a teacher, I have learned how to interrupt people who do not leave any pauses when they’re speaking: start nodding and verbally agreeing with them, 'Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh…' You can’t interrupt these people, but you can start agreeing while they speak, then raise your voice and say, 'Yeah, wow, excuse me but I must go,'" — Janicegirlbomb26. "Remember that it is them who is being impolite by talking incessantly about things of no interest to their audience," — Orp4mmws997. "Source: am a therapist. What you do is recap their last story and in the same breath add a goodbye.I.e. 'Sounds like you guys found a bunch of great deals at the mall, that’s awesome! Thanks for meeting with me, you’ll have to tell me more next time we run into each other. It was great to catch up!'" — pikcles-for-fingers8. "Just start coughing these days it'll clear a whole room in seconds," — Sinisterpigeon9. "People who are like this expect folks to just walk away from them while they are talking because that’s the only way the conversation ends. It’s not rude to them, it’s normal. So, it’s entirely okay to say, 'all right this has been great, see you later,' and then just walk away smiling," — Underlord_Fox10. "If you can practice this, start to train one of your eyeballs to slowly drift off whilst the other eye remains locked on theirs. That should do the trick," — The-Zesty-Man11. "At 62, I just walk away. My bullshit filter has disappeared," -- Negative_Increase12. "You gotta realize that everyone else they talk to just walks away. They’re used to that. They think a conversation is you just talk at someone til they walk away. It’s not weird to them," — DelsmagicFishies13. "I don't know why some people are so afraid of this. It is not rude. You don’t need to lie. 'We can speak more other time. Goodbye,' is fine," — Kooky-Housing304914. "On a more serious note, I typically do an 'oh shit' type of face like I've just remembered I had something important scheduled. I say 'Sorry, what time is it? check the time Ah crap, I hate to cut you off but if I don't head out now I'm going to be late for ____.' Then I scurry away like I'm really in a rush. If you're in a situation where you can't straight up leave, I swap 'gotta head out' for 'I told someone I'd call them at [time] and they're waiting on my call' and then make a fake phone call," — teethfairie15. "'Wow, you have a lot of opinions about this subject...' and then never stop angling the conversation back to how weird it is that they're still talking," — Ordsmed16. "Had a friend who would put his hand gently on your shoulder and kindly say, 'I love you , but I just don't care, good (night/day),'" -- Think-Passage-552217. "While not exactly polite, my Aunt Sophie had a great way of ending a conversation. When the monologue got too much she would nod her head like she was listening and then at the slightest pause she would go, 'The end.' And walk away.She mostly did it with kids who didn’t realize they were yabbering on about Thundercats too long. (It was me, I was yabbering on about Thundercats too long.)" — theslackjaw72718. ​"Change your stance, instead of facing them head on turn 90° your body language will end the conversation quickly without being rude," — Zedd208719. "Where possible, I've always found it best to tell these people up front that you have somewhere to be 15, 30, 45, etc minutes from now. If that's not realistic, I've found that if you can usually find a gap to say you need to run if you focus on doing only this for 3-5 minutes," — Pretend_Airline2811This article originally appeared on 06.22.22

Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old, Grace. Sadly, Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor."I didn't get one dance," Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. "And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said, 'Dad, if you embarrass me, I will never talk to you again.' But what she did do is she hung out with me."No matter who your dad is, especially if you're a 10-year-old-girl, you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school '90s Marky Mark moves.However, Wahlberg couldn't help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.Let's not forget, he didn't get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the "Good Vibrations" video.Being that Wahlberg's time as a pop star was three decades ago, he couldn't believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance."[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage, by the DJ. And then I'm sitting there with one other dad and I'm like, 'This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I'm like no good,'" he said."I told the DJ and he's like, 'Oh, I thought it was.' I said, 'What are you doing?' I'm hearing F-bombs and this and that's not okay," Wahlberg said.He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version, but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society," said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in," Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity," Frisby said."For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version, but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently, three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films, television, and comedy, but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing, especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society," said Cynthia Frisby, a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop, pop music tends to have a bubbly, uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in," Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it, pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg, and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to, deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity," Frisby said."For example, many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them, when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior, then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."This article originally appeared on 03.03.20

Everyone gets antsy about their jobs sometimes.Maybe you notice you're less motivated than usual. Maybe you acknowledge that you're no longer going the extra mile, and you're not quite sure why. Maybe professionalism is a term you've long since forgotten.For many of us, the struggle can be so, so real. That's why Willie Muse wrote these all-too-relatable comics for College Humor, illustrated by Karina Farek.These six funny comics perfectly illustrate what a typical first day at your job looks like versus the 101st day:1. Who doesn't look at at least one viral video a day?2. You suddenly find the time to fit in a breakfast sandwich.3. You go from wanting your boss's approval to hating his or her guts.4. All the details that were once so important become nuisances.5. Your (lack of) motivation can take you from hero to zero — quick!6. And you most certainly DO NOT want to end up like this.Let's be real: These comics are funny, but they also aren't ideal.In a perfect world, we'd all have jobs that still look and feel like Day 1 on Day 101. And one of the only ways to get there is to intentionally strive for a life that's full of work-life balance. We really do have the power to not let things play out like this.What can we do?At a most basic level, we can make sure we're getting enough sleep, eating well, and doing at least a little exercise. We also shouldn't underestimate the benefits of detaching from computer screens and smartphones every once in a while. Plus, we can also minimize our stress levels by not multitasking and instead concentrating on one task at time.The most overlooked advice for maintaining a healthy work-life balance is to actually take time off.Disconnect from your daily work routine. Make a conscious effort to recharge.Perhaps if we dedicate more time to enjoying life outside of work, there's more of a chance that we'll be on Day 1 for months, feeling grateful for our jobs rather than impatiently waiting for the clock to strike 5. Let's get to it!This article originally appeared on 10.25.16

In the United States, close to 10% of the population has depression, but sometimes it can take a long time for someone to even understand that they have it.One difficulty in diagnosis is trying to distinguish between feeling down and experiencing clinical depression. This TED-Ed video from December 2015 can help make the distinction. With simple animation, the video explains how clinical depression lasts longer than two weeks with a range of symptoms that can include changes in appetite, poor concentration, restlessness, sleep disorders (either too much or too little), and suicidal ideation. The video briefly discusses the neuroscience behind the illness, outlines treatments, and offers advice on how you can help a friend or loved one who may have depression.Unlike the many pharmaceutical ads out there with their cute mascots and vague symptoms, the video uses animation to provide clarity about the mental disorder. It's similar in its poignant simplicity to the HBO short documentary "My Depression," based on Liz Swados' book of the same name.This article originally appeared on 08.17.19

A philosophical argument. The post The big problem Jerry Garcia had with the word “counterculture” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

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