John Tierney Books
John Tierney is a science journalist and columnist for The New York Times, recognized for his work on behavioral science and social trends.
Known for: The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Books by John Tierney
The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It
In this book, social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and science writer John Tierney explore the 'negativity effect'—the psychological phenomenon that bad events, emotions, and feedback have a stronger...
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Why do smart, talented people sabotage their goals, while others with fewer advantages steadily build successful lives? In Willpower, psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and science writer John Tierney arg...
Key Insights from John Tierney
Introduction to the Negativity Effect
When I first encountered the concept that bad is stronger than good, it felt both intuitive and unsettling. Every psychologist knows that our minds cling to bad experiences. A single mistake overshadows a record of successes; one betrayal erases months of trust. In chapter one, we lay out the eviden...
From The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It
Evolutionary Origins of Negativity Bias
To grasp why bad gained supremacy, we trace it back to our evolutionary past. Imagine early humans scanning the savanna. Those who ignored possible dangers—rustling grass, unfamiliar shapes—didn’t last long enough to reproduce. Our nervous system therefore became exquisitely tuned to threats. Loss, ...
From The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It
Willpower Works Like Mental Energy
One of the book’s most striking insights is that self-control is not endlessly available on demand. We often talk as if discipline were simply a matter of character: either you have it or you do not. Baumeister and Tierney challenge this view by showing that willpower operates more like a mental ene...
From Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Ego Depletion Shapes Everyday Behavior
The phrase ego depletion may sound abstract, but it describes an everyday reality: after prolonged self-control, people become more vulnerable to impulse, distraction, and poor judgment. Baumeister’s research suggests that the same system used to regulate thoughts, emotions, appetites, and behavior ...
From Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Glucose Fuels Self-Control and Focus
A surprising and controversial idea in the book is that self-control has a biological component tied to energy use in the brain. Baumeister and Tierney discuss evidence suggesting that acts of self-regulation draw on glucose, the body’s readily available fuel. When blood sugar drops or energy is poo...
From Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Too Many Decisions Drain Your Strength
Freedom feels empowering, but endless choice can quietly exhaust us. One of the book’s central insights is decision fatigue: every choice, even a small one, draws on the same self-control system used for discipline and focus. As decisions accumulate, mental clarity deteriorates. People become more i...
From Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
About John Tierney
John Tierney is a science journalist and columnist for The New York Times, recognized for his work on behavioral science and social trends.
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John Tierney is a science journalist and columnist for The New York Times, recognized for his work on behavioral science and social trends.
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