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Manu Joseph: Psychobabble has taken a toll on conversation—it’s getting mind-numbingly dull

The author critically denounces the pervasive use of self-help and popular psychology labels, finding conversations "boring." He argues this "democratization of abstraction" fosters superficial insights and borrowed ideas, diminishing genuine discussions about human nature. He rejects reducing complex human flaws to "idiot names" like "toxic" or "ADHD." Advocating for intuition and tangential wisdom, he asserts modern psychological terms are often misapplied to individuals, simplifying and impoverishing our understanding. He longs for deeper engagement beyond these reductive, widespread classifications.

LiveMint · Manu Joseph · Sep 27, 2026 at 8:30 AM

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