If you’ve ever become lost in an activity—playing video games, running, or making art—you’ve noticed that you become completely immersed in the present moment, rising to the challenge of the experience without becoming bored, frustrated, or tired. Thoughts about the past, future, and even the self melt away. Time seems to fly by. You’re in the zone. This is the flow state, first described by late Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s. Researchers have been chasing the concept ever since, trying to figure out how and why we enter the flow state and how we can get more of this inherently rewarding experience in our everyday lives, in both work and play. Flow is not only an enjoyable state, it is also seen as personally meaningful. “When the self loses itself in a transcendent purpose—whether to write great poetry, craft beautiful furniture, understand the motions of galaxies, or help children be happier—the self becomes largely invulnerable to the fears … [Read more...] about How the Flow State Keeps Us Creative, Focused, and Happy
Dopamine
Has Shein Killed the Dream of Sustainability in Fashion?
Shein, the wildly successful e-commerce fashion company that came onto the scene a mere 14 years ago, is reportedly pondering a valuation of $100 billion, a staggering sum that would make the company one of the most valuable startups in the world , right up there with Elon Musk’s SpaceX . The Chinese retailer has thus far managed to steamroll through its worst PR debacles—allegations of design theft , criticism of its enormous environmental footprint , outrage-sparking offerings such as a swastika necklace —in its quest to win over the hearts and minds of shoppers on the hunt for cute styles at rock-bottom prices. So far, it’s working. Shein’s Gen Z cult following has been well documented, with teens and 20-somethings taking to TikTok in droves to show off and review their Shein hauls . The startup’s strategies dovetail neatly with the social networking platform’s structural need for a constant stream of fresh content, so much so that scrolling through Shein’s … [Read more...] about Has Shein Killed the Dream of Sustainability in Fashion?
