The utility of violence isn't in the violence itself, but only in the threat of it. It creates immediate behaviour change, but only for so long as the threat is active.

Meditation generally involves either acknowledging or excluding thoughts, but can be problematic. Movement-based meditations (e.g. yoga, running) are better for people who can't sit with themselves. More generally, many everyday activities meet the broad criteria.

Many aspects of my PhD were surprising to me, but in hindsight, they didn't have to be. Here's my reflections on how I'd go about it if I'd known.

Pop-psych theories on stress often use complex jargon to describe fundamentally simple concepts. They act less to inform, and more to reassure us, fascinate us, and absolve us of responsibility.

Brain waves are subject to the same pop-psych fluff as everything else brain related. There’s no harm in it, but looking a little more carefully actually makes them a useful tool for understanding behaviour.