The Mental Compass

As children, the approval and encouragement of our parents shape much of our emotional world. A simple word of praise can light up a young heart and create feelings of worth and belonging. Even as we grow older, gain independence, and achieve personal milestones, many of us still feel the deep pull of wanting our parents’ recognition. This longing does not fade entirely. Understanding why we continue to seek parental approval as adults requires examining the psychological, emotional, and social layers that influence human behavior. The Roots of Parental Validation From the earliest moments of life, children rely on their caregivers for feedback about themselves and the world around them. Parents are not just providers of food and shelter; they are mirrors in which children see their value reflected. A smile, a nod of encouragement, or a heartfelt compliment teaches children that their actions and choices matter. When parental praise is consistent, children internalize a sense of compet...

Freud is one of the most debated figures in psychology and perhaps in all of science. Some call him a genius who revealed the hidden workings of the human mind. Others consider him misunderstood or even wrong. His ideas make people think about why humans act the way they do, and they continue to spark arguments nearly a century later. Freud believed that much of human behavior is influenced by forces that are not visible or conscious. He suggested that desires, fears, and memories that we cannot see shape our actions, often in ways we do not realize. This idea alone is powerful because it challenges the simple view that people act purely by choice or logic. Critics often point out that Freud focused too much on sex and childhood experiences. They say that some of his theories cannot be proven scientifically. The famous Oedipus complex, for example, suggests that children have unconscious desires for the parents of the opposite sex. Many today see this as implausible or culturally limit...

In the modern world, relationships do not end with a last conversation. They continue on screens. Even after the final argument, the connection still exists in the form of a profile picture, a status update, or an unread message. This is why the block button has become one of the most emotional actions in the digital age. It looks like a small tap on the phone, but it carries the weight of anger, pain, disappointment, and sometimes even love. When people block and unblock each other repeatedly, it becomes a psychological loop that reveals something deeper than ordinary relationship problems. It shows the struggle between attachment and self protection, between wanting someone and wanting to escape them. In toxic relationships, the block button often becomes the last weapon people use when words stop working. When someone feels hurt, ignored, or overwhelmed, blocking becomes a way of saying enough. It is an attempt to create emotional distance when the mind can no longer handle the chao...

Apologies are meant to create relief. They are expected to repair trust, lessen emotional pain, and restore closeness. Yet many people have experienced a moment when someone says sorry, and it does almost nothing. The words feel empty or incomplete, and the hurt remains. This can lead to confusion and frustration. You may ask yourself why you are still upset or why the apology did not make you feel understood. The explanation often goes deeper than the words spoken. Interpersonal Needs Theory provides valuable insight into why some apologies feel satisfying and others fall short. According to this theory developed by psychologist William Schutz, humans have three core interpersonal needs. These needs are inclusion, control, and affection. When a conflict injures one of these needs, a simple apology is rarely enough. We need our emotional experience to be recognized and validated. Without that acknowledgment, the apology may feel like a gesture that misses the heart of the wound. The Em...

In real life, we spend a large part of our day staring at a phone screen. We scroll through messages, watch short videos, reply to notifications, and keep switching between apps without even thinking about it. Yet when we watch a film, we almost never see characters doing the same. Even in stories set in the modern world, phone use appears only when it is necessary for the plot. Otherwise, directors avoid showing it. This gap between daily life and cinematic life is not accidental. It is a creative choice shaped by visual storytelling, audience psychology, and the deeper human desire to escape the ordinary. Films are designed to hold our attention. They are built on images that move, emotions that rise, and scenes that keep the viewer engaged. A person sitting silently and scrolling through a phone does not provide any visual interest. In reality, it might occupy hours of our time, but in cinema, it feels empty. This is because movies rely on action, expression, and movement. A phone r...

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Wasn’t it just January?” only to look at the calendar and realise it’s already October? Or maybe you’ve noticed how your birthdays used to feel like a countdown event, but now they arrive quietly with bills, responsibilities, and a cake you sometimes forget to cut. As children, time felt endless. Summer vacations stretched like golden, lazy afternoons. Waiting for a birthday gift or exam results felt eternal. Even one hour of school lunch break held laughter, friendships, and entire memories. But as adults, weeks vanish, months dissolve, and suddenly years feel like they’re slipping through our fingers. So what changed? Not time, but our perception of it. The Psychology Behind Time Speeding Up The Proportional Theory of Subjective Time explains this beautifully. According to it, we perceive time relative to how long we’ve lived. So, when you were 5, a single year was 20% of your life, a massive chunk. But at 25, a year is just 4%. At 40, it’s 2.5%...

Cities rise like forests of glass and steel, shining with opportunity yet vibrating with pressure. For many people, urban life once symbolised success, ambition, and progress. Today, the same spaces feel crowded, noisy, and emotionally draining. This shift has created a quiet movement. More and more people are turning their eyes toward village life, imagining a place where the mind can finally slow down and breathe. What was once considered backward is now seen as peaceful, meaningful, and grounded.  This growing interest in rural spaces reveals something deeper than a lifestyle trend. It reflects a change in the modern mind. Somewhere between endless traffic, deadlines, and digital noise, people have started longing for simplicity. They want something cities cannot give them easily: calm, silence, and a sense of belonging. This article explores why this movement is happening, why it is becoming emotional, and why village communities sometimes feel confused or even irritated by the...

We live in a time where wellness culture and indulgence culture are fighting a silent, ongoing war inside us. If Instagram reels were human emotions, half of them would be telling us “wake up at 5 AM, meditate, drink green juice, become your higher self.” The other half would whisper lovingly, “you deserve a treat… maybe two… also life is short so order the biryani.” And somewhere between these two extremes sits the modern Indian human, confused, hopeful, craving balance, and secretly bargaining with the universe like, “If I do yoga today, calories shouldn’t count. Right?” Psychologically speaking, this tug-of-war between discipline and desire is universal but in India, it comes with spicy emotional layers. Food here is not just survival. It is celebration, comfort, culture, therapy, and sometimes… a coping mechanism for life’s chaos. So when your mind says yoga like peace, balance, self-regulation and your heart says biryani i.e. joy, comfort, sensory reward, it’s not weakness. It’...

"Every new year whispers the promise of a fresh beginning and the courage to transform." The Power of a Fresh Start The arrival of a new year often inspires people to set goals, change habits, and make resolutions. Psychologists call this the Temporal Landmark Effect, also known as the Fresh Start Effect. This phenomenon explains why certain dates, such as the start of a new year, a birthday, or even a new week, create a psychological separation between the past and the future. These moments make people feel that they can leave behind mistakes, failures, or unproductive routines, and embrace opportunities for growth. A fresh start is more than a tradition; it is a mental reset, giving people a sense of control and hope for improvement. Why Temporal Landmarks Motivate Change Temporal landmarks are dates or events that stand out from ordinary time. Research shows that these moments help people reflect on their past, evaluate their present, and envision their future. The brain n...