Humanity

A popular New Year’s resolution is to take up meditation – specifically mindfulness meditation. This is a healthy choice. Regular mindfulness practice has been linked to many positive health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep, and quicker healing after injury and illness. Mindfulness can help us to be present in a distracted world and to feel more at home in our bodies, and in our lives.

For years, philosophers and psychologists have debated whether empathy helps or hinders the ways people decide how to help others. Critics of empathy argue that it makes people care too narrowly — focusing on individual stories rather than the broader needs of society — while careful reasoning enables more impartial, evidence-based choices.

For many families in Los Angeles County’s Altadena neighborhood, Christmas will look different this year. The Eaton Fire tore through the area in January, destroying nearly 9,500 buildings — including homes and churches. But as residents continue rebuilding their lives, a cherished, 105-year-old holiday tradition has emerged unscathed. Christmas Tree Lane is a magical stretch […]

One might assume that a community centered on consuming and spreading positivity is also a particularly generous one. But now we have the numbers to back that up: In 2025, Nice News readers collectively donated $46,157 across four different fundraisers. Yes, that’s your cue to pat yourself on the back. These four fundraisers — one […]

If small talk leaves you feeling drained, you might be an introvert, and if meeting new people gets you pumped, you might be an extrovert. But what if neither category seems to describe you? Well, you could be an ambivert, the middle ground between the two — or you could be something else entirely: an […]

Obituaries preserve what families most want remembered about the people they cherish most. Across time, they also reveal the values each era chose to honor. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we analyzed 38 million obituaries of Americans published from 1998 to 2024. We identified the values families most often highlight, and how those values shift across generations, regions and major historical events.

For most, granola is simply a snack, enjoyed atop a morning bowl of yogurt or when the midday munchies hit. For refugees working with Beautiful Day, though, it’s a pathway to a better life. By teaching these individuals to make and package granola, the Rhode Island-based nonprofit helps equip them with the skills they need […]

Social media has given rise to numerous challenges purported to reveal the truth about romantic relationships — like orange peel theory, the idea that if your partner peels your orange without being asked, they truly care for you. Certain of these are more dubious than others, but one test that’s recently gone viral has some […]

Ever told yourself you’re too old to do something? That kind of discouraging self-talk is common at any age: Many of us convince ourselves it’s too late to learn a new technology at 70, start weight lifting at 60, or change careers at 35. But where do those thoughts come from? And should we listen […]