Counterfactual thoughts (CFTs) are imagined alternatives to an actual event, and are pervasive in our daily lives. It is not unusual for one to think of what might have been if only a few subtle details of the past had been different. CFTs often arise from disconfirmation of expectations. Such thoughts have been proposed to influence satisfaction, disappointment and continuance intentions in th...

In this speculative essay, I examine two evolutionary developments underlying the enormous success of the human brain: its capacity to acquire knowledge and its variability across individuals. A feature of an efficient knowledge-acquiring system is, I believe, its capacity to abstract and to formulate ideals. Both attributes carry with them a clash between experience of the particular and what ...