Lexicon
Archives: Lexicon
Words worth knowing, in plain language.
Anhedonia
A reduced ability to feel pleasure in things that used to provide it. A symptom rather than a mood — and worth raising with a professional…
PhilosophyApatheia
The Stoic aim of freedom from destructive passions. Often mistranslated as apathy; it is not feeling less, but not being governed by what you feel.
PhilosophyAtaraxia
A settled, untroubled state of mind — the goal of the Epicureans and the Sceptics alike. Not pleasure, and not numbness, but the absence of disturbance.
PsychologyCognitive dissonance
The discomfort of holding two beliefs that don't fit, or of acting against what you claim to believe. The mind usually resolves it by quietly editing…
PhilosophyEudaimonia
Aristotle's word for a life going well overall: flourishing through activity that expresses your character. Not a feeling you can chase directly.
PsychologyLoss aversion
Losses tend to loom larger than equivalent gains. From Kahneman and Tversky, though the size of the asymmetry is actively debated.
PsychologyMetacognition
Thinking about your own thinking — noticing how you're reasoning, how confident you are, and whether that confidence is earned.
PhilosophyNegative capability
Keats's phrase for the ability to sit in uncertainty and doubt without grabbing for a tidy answer.