Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw

Not All Villains Wear Capes: When ‘Dark’ Traits Help Us Survive

Some people meditate.

Some people cope by rage-texting their ex.

And some, apparently, quietly Machiavelli their way through depression while the rest of us mainline chamomile tea and CBT workbooks.

That’s not just snark. It’s science.

New research is pointing to a deeply uncomfortable truth for therapists and saints alike: certain personality traits we’ve spent decades labeling as "dark" might actually help people survive psychological distress.

You know, the ones you warn your daughter about on dating apps: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.

Collectively known as the Dark Triad, these traits are the Mean Girls of personality psychology. They manipulate, self-promote, and ghost without blinking.

But like every good anti-hero, they might just have one hidden virtue: resilience.

Read More
Daniel Dashnaw Daniel Dashnaw

The Case for Strategic Bastards: Why a Little Machiavellianism Might Save You From Depression

For the longest time, psychologists have treated the “Dark Triad” like the personality equivalent of asbestos: useful once, maybe, but mostly toxic and definitely best avoided.

Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—those three troublemakers—have been blamed for everything from corporate malfeasance to your uncle’s Facebook rants.

But what if, just maybe, one of these dark traits is quietly doing some good? What if being a bit of a strategic bastard actually helps you stay sane?

That’s the premise of a new study out of Queen’s University Belfast, where researchers have taken a scalpel to the Dark Triad and found something surprising:

Machiavellian agency—the calculating, goal-driven cousin of classic Machiavellian sneakiness—might actually help people avoid depression by boosting their coping skills.

Read More
Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw

Why Narcissists Often Feel Unfairly Treated at Work (Even When They’re Not)

A new study finds that narcissists are more likely to feel underappreciated and unfairly treated—because they overestimate their own contributions. Let’s explore how entitlement skews their perception of equity.

Everyone wants to feel valued at work.

But some people consistently believe they’re giving more than they’re getting—even when their output doesn’t match the self-praise.

According to a new study in the International Journal of Organizational Analysis, people with pronounced narcissistic traits often feel shortchanged in professional settings—not because they are, but because they overestimate their contributions.

Researchers Abdelbaset Queiri and Hussain Alhejji (2025) surveyed 150 employees across Oman’s health, education, IT, retail, and finance sectors. Their findings point to a key insight:

Narcissists feel cheated because they think they deserve more than everyone else.

Read More
Family Life and Parenting Daniel Dashnaw Family Life and Parenting Daniel Dashnaw

Thinking in Speech (TiS): A Promising New Approach for Emotional Dysregulation in Autistic Children


A new study in Autism Research shows that a novel self-talk therapy called Thinking in Speech may reduce emotional distress in autistic children.

Let’s explore why strengthening inner speech might support emotional regulation—and why this approach could transform autism therapy as we know it.

What if the missing link in helping autistic children manage their emotions isn’t stricter rules or more behavioral charts—but language?

Not scripted language. Not “use your words” when the meltdown is already happening.

But the private kind of language: the inner monologue most neuro-normative folks take for granted.

Such as:

“This is hard, but I’ve got this.”
“I feel overwhelmed—I need help.”

Read More
Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw Signs of Trouble Daniel Dashnaw

Still Watching: A Year in the Life of Problematic Porn Use and Mental Distress

Let’s start with the bad news: if you’re struggling with pornography use in a way that feels out of control, chances are... you still will be six months from now.

And a year after that.

At least according to a massive new longitudinal study published in Addictive Behaviors.

The good news? You’re not alone.

And there may be more emotional logic to your behavior than the moral panic machine gives you credit for.

Read More
Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw

In Pursuit of the Revenge Body

Why Your Breakup Needs Triceps

Somewhere along the way, breakups stopped being about Ben & Jerry’s and started being about Bulgarian split squats.

The “revenge body” meme—immortalized in tabloid headlines, gym selfies, and Khloé Kardashian's ill-advised reality show—promises that with enough protein powder and rage, your ex will crumble under the weight of your visible obliques.

It’s a seductive idea. They left you. You got shredded. Who’s crying now? (Answer: Still you. Just more hydrated.)

But beneath the humor is a deeply American solution to heartache: fix your packaging, and maybe your soul will follow.

I hate to tell ya, It won’t.

Read More
Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw

What Is a Sex Detox? A Fresh Look Beyond the Abstinence Hype

There’s a moment—sometimes subtle, sometimes glaring—when your relationship to sex begins to feel less like connection and more like repetition.

Maybe it’s the third late-night scroll through OnlyFans that leaves you more depleted than satisfied.

Or maybe it's the familiar post-date fog that arrives right after the Uber leaves. Perhaps you’re in a committed relationship and wondering when sex became more of a shared logistical obligation than a source of joy.

Whatever the spark, the question tends to land the same way:
What am I actually doing with my sexuality?

Enter the idea of a sex detox—not a punishment or a purity crusade, but a pause.

Read More
Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw

Engineering Minds and Emotional Intimacy: How Couples Can Bridge the Binary Gap

In a certain kind of marriage, love sounds like code and feels like jazz.

One partner organizes their inner world in systems and subroutines. The other is fluent in emotional nuance, using tone, gesture, and eye contact the way others use semicolons.

You know these couples.

One writes love letters in Excel.

The other wants to be held while crying through the seasonal arc of their emotions.

They love each other, yes.

But emotional intimacy?

That’s where things can break down—not from a lack of love, but from a profound difference in cognitive architecture.

And no one taught them how to bridge that gap.

Read More
Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw Social Media and Relationships Daniel Dashnaw

The Ozempic Penis: Social Media’s Strangest Side Effect Debate

First came the headlines about dramatic weight loss.

Then came the TikTok confessionals about reduced alcohol cravings, food aversions, and newfound self-control. But now?

Now we’re talking about the Ozempic penis—a term that’s somehow made its way from fringe Reddit threads into mainstream online discourse.

No, this isn’t satire. It’s 2025, and men on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic (semaglutide) or Wegovy are speculating—half joking, half serious—that the weight-loss injections are making their penises appear longer or function better.

Is there any science behind it? Why is it going viral? And what does this tell us about the strange intersection of medicine, masculinity, and meme culture?

Read More

Couples in Alignment: Shared Finances & Shared Success

They both have impressive LinkedIn bios. She leads investor relations at a global private equity firm. He heads product at a fintech unicorn.

Together, they pull in a mid-seven-figure income—but unlike some high-achieving couples, they’re not in a quiet turf war.

They’re in alignment.

This is the story of a new generation of power couples who’ve replaced old narratives of dominance and silent resentment with something healthier: shared financial vision, collaborative planning, and emotional partnership.

Read More
Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw

When the Math Genius Marries the Boss: The Quiet Rise of Wall Street Househusbands

When Quants Marry CEOs: A New Power Couple Equation

There’s a certain image we all conjure when we hear the word “quant”:
A math prodigy who uses stochastic calculus to predict market fluctuations, fueled by Soylent, and emotionally sustained by Bloomberg terminals.

But behind some of Wall Street’s most dazzling female financial minds, you’ll increasingly find a barefoot quant in the kitchen.

We’re witnessing the rise of the Wall Street househusband—not as a punchline, but as a powerful evolution in family dynamics.

These men aren’t failing at capitalism. They’re optimizing for something rarer: partnership.

Read More
Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw Neurodiverse Couples Daniel Dashnaw

What If the Problem in Your Marriage Isn’t Communication—But Cognitive Architecture? Bridging the Gap


What if the real problem in your marriage isn’t communication—but cognitive architecture?

There’s a moment—maybe it was after your third fight about “tone,” or when you realized your therapist was nodding but not helping—where it hits you:

“We’re not broken.
We’re just not running the same operating system.”

One of you moves through the world like a structured flowchart.
The other? Like an emotional jazz improvisation.

One of you wants to solve.
The other wants to connect.
And both of you are tired.

You’re not crazy. You’re a neurodiverse/neurotypical couple.

And there’s finally a framework built for your brains, not just your feelings.

Read More