What do the most creative people have in common? How open-minded are you, really? And what’s wrong with ordering eggs Benedict?

Take the Big Five inventory:

freakonomics.com/bigfive

• SOURCES:
  • Max Bennett, co-founder and C.E.O. of Alby.
  • David Epstein, author and journalist.
  • Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
  • Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Steve Jobs, co-founder and former C.E.O. of Apple.
  • Oliver John, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Daniel Kahneman, professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University.
  • Claude Shannon, 20th century mathematician and computer scientist.
  • Jannik Sinner, professional tennis player.
  • Christopher Soto, professor of psychology at Colby College.
  • Dashun Wang, professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University.
  • Kaitlin Woolley, professor of marketing at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

• RESOURCES:
  • A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains, by Max Bennett (2023).
  • "Exploration vs. Exploitation: Adults Are Learning (Once Again) From Children," by Alison Gopnik (Observer, 2023).
  • "Motivating Personal Growth by Seeking Discomfort," by Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach (Psychological Science, 2022).
  • "Understanding the Onset of Hot Streaks Across Artistic, Cultural, and Scientific Careers," by Lu Liu, Nima Dehmamy, Jillian Chown, C. Lee Giles, and Dashun Wang (Nature Communications, 2021).
  • "Improv Experience Promotes Divergent Thinking, Uncertainty Tolerance, and Affective Well-Being," by Peter Felsman, Sanuri Gunawardena, and Colleen M. Seifert (Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2020).
  • Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein (2019).
  • "Openness to Experience," by Robert R. McCrae and David M. Greenberg (The Wiley Handbook of Genius, 2014).

• EXTRAS:
  • Big Five Personality Inventory, by No Stupid Questions (2024).
  • "David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).

Are you the same person you were a decade ago? Do we get better as we age? And is your sixth-grade class clown still funny?

• SOURCES:
  • Aaron (Tim) Beck, professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University.
  • Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic.
  • Brian Little, professor of psychology at the University of Cambridge.
  • Jordi Quoidbach, professor of people management and organisation at ESADE, University Ramon Llull.
  • Carl Rogers, 20th-century psychologist.
  • Martin Short, actor and comedian.
  • Richard Wiseman, professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
  • Timothy Wilson, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.

• RESOURCES:
  • "I Gave Myself Three Months to Change My Personality," by Olga Khazan (The Atlantic, 2022).
  • "You Can Be a Different Person After the Pandemic," by Olga Khazan (The New York Times, 2021).
  • "The Theory of Modes: Applications to Schizophrenia and Other Psychological Conditions," by Aaron T. Beck, Molly R. Finkel, and Judith S. Beck (Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2020).
  • “Brian Little: Are Human Personalities Hardwired?" by Guy Raz (TED Radio Hour, 2017).
  • I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend, by Martin Short (2014).
  • "The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013).
  • "Age Differences in Personality Traits From 10 to 65: Big Five Domains and Facets in a Large Cross-Sectional Sample," by Christopher J. Soto, Oliver P. John, Samuel D. Gosling, and Jeff Potter (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011).
  • "The Rank-Order Consistency of Personality Traits From Childhood to Old Age: A Guantitative Review of Longitudinal Studies," by Brent W. Roberts and Wendy F. DelVecchio (Psychological Bulletin, 2000).

• EXTRAS:
  • Big Five Personality Inventory, by No Stupid Questions (2024).
  • Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, TV series (2012-present).

Is it dangerous to live in the past? Why is Disney remaking all of its classic movies? And why does Angela get sentimental over a cup of soup and a free roll?

• SOURCES:
  • Julie Beck, senior editor at The Atlantic.
  • Danielle Campoamor, freelance writer and reporter.
  • Kyle Chayka, staff writer at The New Yorker.
  • Amelia Dennis, research associate in psychology at the University of Bath.
  • Erica Hepper, lecturer in personality/social psychology at the University of Surrey.
  • Lucy Hone, director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience.
  • Imran Rahman-Jones, freelance journalist.
  • Florence Saint-Jean, executive director of Global Trauma Research.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Pancultural Nostalgia in Action: Prevalence, Triggers, and Psychological Functions of Nostalgia Across Cultures," by Erica Hepper, Constantine Sedikides, Bettina Zengel, et al. (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2024).
  • "From Rosy Past to Happy and Flourishing Present: Nostalgia as a Resource for Hedonic and Eudaimonic Wellbeing," by Erica Hepper and Amelia Dennis (Current Opinion in Psychology, 2023).
  • "Locating Nostalgia Among the Emotions: A Bridge From Loss to Love," by Wijnand A.P. van Tilburg (Current Opinion in Psychology, 2023).
  • "Hindsight is 2022: The Psychology Behind Our Cultural Nostalgia," by Kyle Chayka (Town & Country, 2022).
  • "Why We Reach for Nostalgia in Times of Crisis," by Danielle Campoamor (The New York Times, 2020).
  • "Mulan: Disney Remakes and the Power of Nostalgia During Coronavirus," by Imran Rahman-Jones (BBC, 2020).
  • "The Three Secrets of Resilient People," by Lucy Hone (TEDxChristchurch, 2019).
  • "When Nostalgia Was a Disease," by Julie Beck (The Atlantic, 2013).

• EXTRAS:
  • Big Five Personality Inventory, by No Stupid Questions (2024).
  • Zoom, by Istvan Banyai (1995).
  • Peter and Wendy, by J. M. Barrie (1911).

Does instinct trump expertise? Can playing poker improve your intuition? And why did Angela jump off of a moving trolley car?

• SOURCES:
  • Tom Brady, former quarterback for the New England Patriots.
  • Daniel Kahneman, professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University.
  • Gary Klein, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.
  • Brock Purdy, quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
  • Josh Waitzkin, former chess player, martial arts competitor, and author.

• RESOURCES:
  • "When and How To Sleep Train Your Baby," by Cleveland Clinic (2021).
  • "The ShadowBox Approach to Cognitive Skills Training: An Empirical Evaluation," by Gary Klein and Joseph Borders (Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 2016).
  • Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011).
  • "Conditions for Intuitive Expertise: A Failure to Disagree," by Daniel Kahneman and Gary Klein (American Psychologist, 2009).
  • "Dumb Ways to Die," by Metro Trains Melbourne (2009).
  • The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance, by Josh Waitzkin (2007).
  • Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions, by Gary Klein (1998).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Is It So Hard to Make Decisions?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • "Daniel Kahneman on Why Our Judgment is Flawed — and What to Do About It," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • "How to Make a Bad Decision," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).

Is grade inflation on the rise? How much does your G.P.A. matter in the long run? And when did M.I.T., of all places, become “the cool university”?

• SOURCES:
  • Scott Hugo, housing justice attorney at Oakland City Attorney’s Office.
  • Bob Ladouceur, former head football coach at De La Salle High School.
  • Jon Marcus, writer at The Hechinger Report.
  • Amelia Nierenberg, Connecticut correspondent for The New York Times.
  • James Pennebaker, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
  • Stuart Rojstaczer, writer and former professor of geophysics at Duke University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Making the (Letter) Grade: The Incentive Effects of Mandatory Pass/Fail Courses," by Kristin Butcher, Patrick J. McEwan, and Akila Weerapana (Education Finance and Policy, 2023).
  • "To Help New Students Adapt, Some Colleges Are Eliminating Grades," by Jon Marcus (NPR from Hechinger Report, 2023).
  • "Grade Inflation Continues to Grow in the Past Decade," by Edgar I. Sanchez and Raeal Moore (ACT Research, 2022).
  • "Why Good Teaching Evaluations May Reward Bad Teaching: On Grade Inflation and Other Unintended Consequences of Student Evaluations," by Wolfgang Stroebe (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2016).
  • "Grade Inflation at American Colleges and Universities," by Stuart Rojstaczer (GradeInflation.com, 2016).
  • Chasing Perfection: The Principles Behind Winning Football the De La Salle Way, by Bob Ladouceur and Neil Hayes (2015).
  • "Daily Online Testing in Large Classes: Boosting College Performance while Reducing Achievement Gaps," by James W. Pennebaker, Samuel D. Gosling, and Jason D. Ferrell (PLOS One, 2013).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Higher Education Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).
  • "Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

How can you summon courage when you’re terrified? Is hiking more dangerous than skiing? And what is the stupidest thing that Mike has ever done?

• SOURCES:
  • Albert Bandura, professor of psychology at Stanford University.
  • Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine.
  • Lisa Damour, clinical psychologist and senior advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University.
  • Christopher Peterson, professor of psychology and organizational studies at the University of Michigan.
  • Stanley Rachman, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic alpine skier.
  • Lindsey Vonn, Olympic alpine skier.
  • Shaun White, Olympic snowboarder.
  • Joseph Wolpe, 20th-century South African psychiatrist.

• RESOURCES:
  • The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents, by Lisa Damour (2023).
  • "What Scares the World’s Most Daring Olympians," by John Branch, Mark Boyer, Larry Buchanan, Emily Rhyne, Bedel Saget, Joe Ward, and Jeremy White (The New York Times, 2022).
  • "The Upside of Anxiety," by Christina Caron (The New York Times, 2022).
  • Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, by Marc Brackett (2019).
  • "World With No Fear," by Invisibilia (2015).
  • Abū Zayd Al-Balkhī''s Sustenance of the Soul: The Cognitive Behavior Therapy of a Ninth Century Physician, by Malik Badri (2013).
  • "Searching for the Source of a Fountain of Courage," by Natalie Angier (The New York Times, 2011).
  • Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman (2004).
  • Fear and Courage, by Stanley Rachman (1978).
  • "Relative Efficacy of Desensitization and Modeling Approaches for Inducing Behavioral, Affective, and Attitudinal Changes," by Albert Bandura, E. B. Blahard, and B. Ritter (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1969).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Fear No Mort," S7.E10 of Rick and Morty (2023).
  • "Can Fear Be Good Medicine?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022).
  • How We Feel, smartphone app.

Would you be more adventurous if you had more structure? Do you multitask while brushing your teeth? And what would Mike’s perfect brother Peter do?

• SOURCES:
  • David Brooks, opinion columnist for The New York Times.
  • Colin Camerer, professor of economics at the California Institute of Technology.
  • James Clear, writer.
  • Mason Currey, author.
  • David Goggins, ultra-endurance athlete and retired U.S. Navy SEAL.
  • Jesse Itzler, entrepreneur and author.
  • Katy Milkman, professor of operations, information and decisions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and host of the Choiceology podcast.
  • Aneesh Rai, professor of management and organization at the University of Maryland.
  • Tony Robbins, author, motivational speaker, and life coach.
  • Sydney Scott, professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis.
  • Cass Sunstein, professor and founding director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School.
  • Elanor Williams, professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis.

• RESOURCES:
  • "A Field Experiment on Subgoal Framing to Boost Volunteering: The Trade-Off Between Goal Granularity and Flexibility," by Aneesh Rai, Marissa A. Sharif, Edward H. Chang, Katherine L. Milkman, and Angela L. Duckworth (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2023).
  • "What’s Next? Advances and Challenges in Understanding How Environmental Predictability Shapes the Development of Cognitive Control," by Yuko Munakata, Diego Placido, and Winnie Zhuang (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2023).
  • "A Neural Autopilot Theory of Habit: Evidence From Consumer Purchases and Social Media Use," by Colin Camerer, Yi Xin, and Clarice Zhao (Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2023).
  • "In Goal Pursuit, I Think Flexibility Is the Best Choice for Me but Not for You," by Sydney E. Scott and Elanor F. Williams (Journal of Marketing Research, 2022).
  • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear (2018).
  • Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond (2016).
  • Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet, by Jesse Itzler (2015).
  • "The Good Order," by David Brooks (The New York Times, 2014).
  • Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, by Mason Currey (2013).

What’s the best way to carry out random acts of kindness? What’s wrong with making an “Irish exit”? And why is Mike secretly buying lottery tickets?

• SOURCES:
  • Roy Baumeister, social psychologist and visiting scholar at Harvard University.
  • Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University.
  • John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington.
  • Kurt Lewin, 20th-century German-American psychologist.
  • E. J. Masicampo, professor of psychology at Wake Forest University.
  • Timothy Wilson, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.
  • Bluma Zeigarnik, 20th-century Soviet psychologist.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Life and Work of the Psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik," by M. Marco (Neurosciences and History, 2018).
  • "Why We Need Answers," by Maria Konnikova (The New Yorker, 2013).
  • "Consider It Done! Plan Making Can Eliminate the Cognitive Effects of Unfulfilled Goals," by E. J. Masicampo and Roy Baumeister (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011).
  • The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples, by John Gottman (2011).
  • "'Let Me Dream On!' Anticipatory Emotions and Preference for Timing in Lotteries," by Martin Kocher, Michal Krawczyk, and Frans van Winden (Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper, 2009).
  • "Explaining Away: A Model of Affective Adaptation," by Timothy Wilson and Daniel Gilbert (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2008).
  • "On Finished and Unfinished Tasks," by Bluma Zeigarnik (A Source Book of Gestalt Psychology, 1938).

• EXTRAS:
  • Big Five Personality Inventory, by No Stupid Questions (2024).
  • "Can We Disagree Better?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • "Would You Be Happier if You Were More Creative?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • "How Can You Be Kinder to Yourself?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • "What’s Wrong With Holding a Grudge?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).
  • Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli (1991).