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The long-held habits you might need to reconsider - The Atlantic
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class="ArticleHero_rubric__e4rjD"><div class="ArticleRubric_root__HNhbf" id="rubric" data-flatplan-rubric="true"><a class="ArticleRubric_link__nl9hy" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/category/wonder-reader/" data-action="click link - section rubric" data-label="https://www.theatlantic.com/category/wonder-reader/" data-event-element="rubric">The Wonder Reader</a></div></div><div class="ArticleHero_title__PQ4pC"><h1 class="ArticleTitle_root__VrZaG" data-flatplan-title="true">The Long-Held Habits You Might Need to Reconsider</h1></div><div class="ArticleHero_dek__EqdkK" data-flatplan-description="true"><p class="ArticleDek_root__P3leE">One of the most humbling parts of being alive is realizing you’ve been doing a simple thing wrong.</p></div><div class="ArticleHero_byline__iFT6A"><div class="ArticleBylines_root__IBR5V"><address id="byline">By <a class="ArticleBylines_link__kNP4C" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/" data-action="click author - byline" data-label="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/" data-event-element="author" data-flatplan-author-link="true">Isabel Fattal</a></address></div></div></div><div class="ArticleLeadArt_root__nRSLU"><figure class="ArticleLeadFigure_root__Bj81R ArticleLeadFigure_standard__20Izv"><div class="ArticleLeadFigure_media__R1npW" data-flatplan-lead_figure_media="true"><picture><img alt="Man washing his hands" class="Image_root__XxsOp ArticleLeadArt_image__HZS4B" sizes="(min-width: 976px) 976px, 100vw" srcSet="https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/3q1uw4t6xaerDD--h6lWiyd7i6E=/1x698:7355x4835/750x422/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg 750w, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/jj2kW489kDDrpEtIKRMvSSQE4EE=/1x698:7355x4835/828x466/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg 828w, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/6nhhRQuaMoyGmedEeFrFpVjMNlA=/1x698:7355x4835/960x540/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg 960w, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/pFPLfIvRIg6pvkmf9wJt9_90o-o=/1x698:7355x4835/976x549/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg 976w, https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/Vpo_POpYjzzR4jO7hL0rJ94DsDY=/1x698:7355x4835/1952x1098/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg 1952w" src="https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/6nhhRQuaMoyGmedEeFrFpVjMNlA=/1x698:7355x4835/960x540/media/img/mt/2024/11/GettyImages_1182622704/original.jpg" id="article-lead-image" width="960" height="540"/></picture></div><figcaption class="ArticleLeadFigure_caption__Byu7W ArticleLeadFigure_standardCaption__PsDkd" data-flatplan-lead_figure_caption="true">Moyo Studio / Getty</figcaption></figure></div></div><div class="ArticleHero_articleUtilityBar__JbQFj"><div class="ArticleHero_timestamp__bKhcB"><time class="ArticleTimestamp_root__b3bL6" dateTime="2024-11-23T14:47:00Z" data-flatplan-timestamp="true">November 23, 2024</time> </div><div class="ArticleHero_articleUtilityBarTools__ZHw8s"><div class="ArticleShare_root__Mq0RB"><button class="ArticleShare_text__oQKBy ArticleShare_shareButton__X0cIe" aria-haspopup="true" aria-controls=":R1i5ioomm:" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Open Share Menu" data-action="click share - expand" data-event-verb="shared" data-event-element="share dropdown">Share<svg width="15" height="15" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="ArticleShare_shareIcon__G4iq1"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M7.335.272a.25.25 0 01.337 0l4.623 4.204a.25.25 0 01.017.353l-.336.37a.25.25 0 01-.353.016L8.004 1.926v7.9a.25.25 0 01-.25.25h-.5a.25.25 0 01-.25-.25V1.924l-3.62 3.291a.25.25 0 01-.353-.016l-.336-.37a.25.25 0 01.016-.353L7.335.272zM.5 7.545a.25.25 0 00-.25.25v6.75c0 .138.112.25.25.25h14a.25.25 0 00.25-.25v-6.75a.25.25 0 00-.25-.25H14a.25.25 0 00-.25.25v6H1.25v-6a.25.25 0 00-.25-.25H.5z" fill="#000"></path></svg></button></div><button class="SaveButton_saveButton__7LYFZ" aria-label="Save"><span class="SaveButton_text__fiZgx">Save<!-- --> </span><svg width="12" height="16" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="SaveButton_icon__HFNiD SaveButton_unsaved__bP4MN"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M6 10.828l5 3.31V1H1v13.139l5-3.31zM.776 15.486A.5.5 0 010 15.07V.5A.5.5 0 01.5 0h11a.5.5 0 01.5.5v14.57a.5.5 0 01-.776.416L6.138 12.12a.25.25 0 00-.276 0L.776 15.486z" fill="currentColor"></path><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M5.572 8.75c0 .138.111.25.25.25h.5a.25.25 0 00.25-.25V6.57H8.75A.25.25 0 009 6.32v-.5a.25.25 0 00-.25-.25H6.572V3.25a.25.25 0 00-.25-.25h-.5a.25.25 0 00-.25.25v2.32H3.25a.25.25 0 00-.25.25v.5c0 .138.112.25.25.25h2.322v2.18z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg></button></div></div><gpt-ad class="GptAd_root__pAvcS ArticleInjector_root__I7x9v LeadArticleAd_root__tdCqm s-native s-native--standard s-native--streamline" format="injector" sizes-at-0="mobile-wide" targeting-pos="injector-article-start" sizes-at-976="desktop-wide"></gpt-ad><div class="ArticleInjector_clsAvoider__dqIAm" style="--placeholderHeight:298px"></div></header><section class="ArticleBody_root__2gF81" data-event-module="article body" data-flatplan-body="true"><div class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"><p data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><small><em>This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. <a data-event-element="inline link" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen31117857_899="425" data-gtm-vis-has-fired31117857_899="1" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time31117857_899="100" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/the-wonder-reader/">Sign up here</a> to get it every Saturday morning.</em></small></p></div><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">One of the most humbling parts of being alive is realizing you’ve long been doing a simple thing wrong—or, at least, not in the way experts say you should be doing it. Did you know that the best time to apply deodorant is right before bed? Or that you should get rid of your black plastic spatulas? Or that you probably shower too much?</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">Being hit with these truths can feel unmooring. What if some of your reflexive daily rituals need to be reconsidered? But there’s power in the knowledge too. Today’s newsletter explores our ever-evolving understanding of how humans live, and what’s best for us.</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><strong>On Our Habits</strong></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">Your Armpits Are Trying to Tell You Something</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><i>By Yasmin Tayag</i></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">The best time to apply antiperspirant is right before bed. Seriously.</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><a data-event-element="inline link" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/antiperspirant-deodorant-night/680710/">Read the article.</a></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><i>By Zoë Schlanger</i></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">It’s probably leaching chemicals into your cooking oil.</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><a data-event-element="inline link" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/10/black-plastic-spatula-flame-retardants/680452/">Read the article.</a></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">You’re Showering Too Much</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><i>By James Hamblin</i></p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">Wash your hands, but lay off the other parts. (<em>From 2020</em>)</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><a data-event-element="inline link" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/hygiene-is-overrated/612235/">Read the article.</a></p><hr class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"/><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><b>Still Curious?</b></p><div class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"><ul class=""><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/therapy-couch-lie-down-freud/680676/"><b>Stop looking at your therapist</b></a><b>:</b> The couch is there for a reason, Shayla Love argues.</li> <li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/ice-cream-bad-for-you-health-study/673487/"><b>Nutrition science’s most preposterous result</b></a><b>:</b> Studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream. Scientists don’t want to talk about it, David Merritt Johns wrote last year.</li></ul></div><hr class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"/><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><b>Other Diversions</b></p><div class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"><ul class=""><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/11/sound-of-one-hand-clapping/680699/">Three ways to become a deeper thinker</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/group-fitness-exercise-friendship/680713/">A ridiculous, perfect way to make friends</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/give-beans-a-chance/680749/">One food to change the world</a></li></ul></div><hr class="ArticleLegacyHtml_root__WFd2I ArticleLegacyHtml_standard__kC_zi"/><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true"><b>P.S.</b></p><div class="ArticleInlineFigure_root__hYQJP ArticleInlineFigure_alignWell__tK_8_" data-flatplan-inline_image="true"><figure class="ArticleInlineFigure_figure__qmYhH" style="--imageWidth:2048px;max-width:2048px"><picture class="ArticleInlineImagePicture_picture__SVXJ7" style="padding-bottom:75.00%"><img alt="A dahlia" loading="lazy" class="Image_root__XxsOp Image_lazy__hYWHV ArticleInlineImagePicture_image__I79fR" srcSet="https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/newsletters/2024/11/WR1123/original.jpg" src="https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/newsletters/2024/11/WR1123/original.jpg" width="2048" height="1536"/></picture><figcaption class="ArticleInlineFigure_figcaption__kxSCW ArticleInlineFigure_alignWell__tK_8_">Courtesy of Monica Shah</figcaption></figure></div><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">Sign up for our new newsletter <a data-event-element="inline link" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/being-human/">Being Human</a> for more stories on the mysteries of the body and the mind.</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. “In my garden, I was mesmerized by this dahlia's fractal symmetry, a kaleidoscope in nature,” Monica Shah from Edison, New Jersey, writes.</p><p class="ArticleParagraph_root__4mszW" data-flatplan-paragraph="true">— Isabel</p><div class="ArticleBody_divider__GpNxD" id="article-end"></div></section><div data-event-module="footer"><div class="ArticleWell_root__fueCa"><div data-event-module="author footer" class="ArticleFooter_authorFooter__5NsdY"><div class="SectionHeading_root__3GnqT"><h3 class="SectionHeading_heading__iNkek">About the Author</h3></div><div><div class="ArticleBio_root__ua8zj"><address id="article-writer-0" class="ArticleBio_author__6pDyl" data-event-element="author" data-event-position="1" data-flatplan-bio="true"><div class="ArticleBio_content__O0ZVF"><a class="ArticleBio_headshotContainer__Am2nR" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/" data-event-element="image"><img alt="" loading="lazy" class="Image_root__XxsOp Image_lazy__hYWHV ArticleBio_headshot__6Aykd" src="https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/9drUqjDft-QkXiGWmgFxGdV-wtc=/0x11:400x411/120x120/media/img/authors/2022/08/biophototry3/original.jpg" width="60" height="60"/></a><div class="ArticleBio_bioSection__Hef4P"><div data-flatplan-bio="true"><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/" class="author-link" data-label="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/" data-action="click author - name" >Isabel Fattal</a> is a senior editor at <em>The Atlantic</em>, where she oversees newsletters.</div><div class="ArticleBio_moreStories__LKpwT"><p class="ArticleBio_contentHeading__cmbmT">More Stories</p><a class="ArticleBio_storyLink__xuRiU" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/grateful-dead-musicians-inner-lives/680686/" data-event-element="more stories" data-event-position="1"><p>The Inner Lives of Musicians</p></a><a class="ArticleBio_storyLink__xuRiU" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/sleep-tools-consumerism-america/680609/" data-event-element="more stories" data-event-position="2"><p>How Good Sleep Became a Business</p></a></div></div></div></address></div></div></div></div><div></div></div><gpt-ad class="GptAd_root__pAvcS ArticleInjector_root__I7x9v s-native s-native--standard s-native--streamline" format="injector" sizes-at-0="mobile-wide,native,house" targeting-pos="injector-most-popular" sizes-at-976="desktop-wide,native,house"></gpt-ad><div class="ArticleInjector_clsAvoider__dqIAm"></div></article><div></div></main><div></div><div></div></div></div><script id="__NEXT_DATA__" type="application/json">{"props":{"isLoggedIn":false,"hasPaywallAccess":false,"hasAdFree":false,"pageProps":{"id":"BlogArticle:680786","isTnfCompatible":true,"layout":"standard","hasMeter":true,"url":"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/your-armpits-are-trying-to-tell-you-something/680786/","dateModified":"2024-11-23T14:48:11Z","__typename":"BlogArticle","notFound":false,"urqlState":{"1620146810":{"data":"{\"article\":{\"primaryCategory\":{\"isFranchise\":false,\"icon\":null,\"longDek\":\"\",\"shortDek\":\"\",\"displayName\":\"The Wonder Reader\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/category/wonder-reader/\",\"pinnedItem\":null,\"river\":{\"edges\":[{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680686\",\"title\":\"The Inner Lives of Musicians\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/grateful-dead-musicians-inner-lives/680686/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"},{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680609\",\"title\":\"How Good Sleep Became a Business\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/sleep-tools-consumerism-america/680609/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"},{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680505\",\"title\":\"When Fancy Appliances Fall Short\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/fancy-appliances-leafblowers/680505/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"},{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680417\",\"title\":\"Halloween Has Changed\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/10/spirit-of-halloween-online-memes/680417/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:38610\",\"displayName\":\"Stephanie Bai\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"},{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680315\",\"title\":\"The Real Differences Between Introverts and Extroverts\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/10/introverts-extroverts-personality-change/680315/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"},{\"node\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680241\",\"title\":\"How to Find a New Hobby\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/10/how-hobbies-infiltrated-american-life/680241/\",\"authors\":[{\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\"}],\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"},\"__typename\":\"PromoEdge\"}],\"__typename\":\"RiverConnection\"},\"__typename\":\"Category\"},\"editorialProject\":null,\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"}}"},"1633163299":{"data":"{\"article\":{\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680786\",\"isTnfCompatible\":true,\"layout\":\"standard\",\"hasMeter\":true,\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/your-armpits-are-trying-to-tell-you-something/680786/\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-23T14:48:11Z\",\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\"}}"},"2021745665":{"data":"{\"breakingNews\":null}"},"3724803764":{"data":"{\"article\":{\"__typename\":\"BlogArticle\",\"id\":\"BlogArticle:680786\",\"authors\":[{\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/\",\"displayName\":\"Isabel Fattal\",\"__typename\":\"Author\",\"id\":\"Author:18180\",\"biography\":{\"default\":\"\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/\\\" class=\\\"author-link\\\" data-label=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/author/isabel-fattal/\\\" data-action=\\\"click author - 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Did you know that the best time to apply deodorant is right before bed? Or that you should get rid of your black plastic spatulas? Or that you probably shower too much?\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"Being hit with these truths can feel unmooring. What if some of your reflexive daily rituals need to be reconsidered? But there’s power in the knowledge too. Today’s newsletter explores our ever-evolving understanding of how humans live, and what’s best for us.\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cstrong\u003eOn Our Habits\u003c/strong\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"Your Armpits Are Trying to Tell You Something\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ci\u003eBy Yasmin Tayag\u003c/i\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"The best time to apply antiperspirant is right before bed. Seriously.\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ca data-event-element=\\\"inline link\\\" href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/antiperspirant-deodorant-night/680710/\\\"\u003eRead the article.\u003c/a\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ci\u003eBy Zoë Schlanger\u003c/i\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"It’s probably leaching chemicals into your cooking oil.\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ca data-event-element=\\\"inline link\\\" href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/10/black-plastic-spatula-flame-retardants/680452/\\\"\u003eRead the article.\u003c/a\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"You’re Showering Too Much\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ci\u003eBy James Hamblin\u003c/i\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"Wash your hands, but lay off the other parts. (\u003cem\u003eFrom 2020\u003c/em\u003e)\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003ca data-event-element=\\\"inline link\\\" href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/hygiene-is-overrated/612235/\\\"\u003eRead the article.\u003c/a\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleLegacyHtml\",\"tagName\":\"HR\",\"idAttr\":\"\",\"className\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cb\u003eStill Curious?\u003c/b\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleLegacyHtml\",\"tagName\":\"UL\",\"idAttr\":\"\",\"className\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/therapy-couch-lie-down-freud/680676/\\\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStop looking at your therapist\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cb\u003e:\u003c/b\u003e The couch is there for a reason, Shayla Love argues.\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/ice-cream-bad-for-you-health-study/673487/\\\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNutrition science’s most preposterous result\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cb\u003e:\u003c/b\u003e Studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream. Scientists don’t want to talk about it, David Merritt Johns wrote last year.\u003c/li\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleLegacyHtml\",\"tagName\":\"HR\",\"idAttr\":\"\",\"className\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cb\u003eOther Diversions\u003c/b\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleLegacyHtml\",\"tagName\":\"UL\",\"idAttr\":\"\",\"className\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/11/sound-of-one-hand-clapping/680699/\\\"\u003eThree ways to become a deeper thinker\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/11/group-fitness-exercise-friendship/680713/\\\"\u003eA ridiculous, perfect way to make friends\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/give-beans-a-chance/680749/\\\"\u003eOne food to change the world\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleLegacyHtml\",\"tagName\":\"HR\",\"idAttr\":\"\",\"className\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"\u003cb\u003eP.S.\u003c/b\u003e\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleInlineImage\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1536,\"attributionText\":\"\",\"captionText\":\"Courtesy of Monica Shah\",\"alignment\":null,\"url\":\"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/newsletters/2024/11/WR1123/original.jpg\",\"srcSet\":\"https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/newsletters/2024/11/WR1123/original.jpg\",\"altText\":\"A dahlia\",\"clickthroughUrl\":\"\",\"crop\":null},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"Sign up for our new newsletter \u003ca data-event-element=\\\"inline link\\\" href=\\\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/sign-up/being-human/\\\"\u003eBeing Human\u003c/a\u003e for more stories on the mysteries of the body and the mind.\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. “In my garden, I was mesmerized by this dahlia's fractal symmetry, a kaleidoscope in nature,” Monica Shah from Edison, New Jersey, writes.\"},{\"__typename\":\"ArticleParagraphContent\",\"subtype\":null,\"idAttr\":\"\",\"innerHtml\":\"— Isabel\"}],\"editorialProject\":null,\"primaryCategory\":{\"isFranchise\":false,\"__typename\":\"Category\",\"displayName\":\"The Wonder Reader\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/category/wonder-reader/\",\"slug\":\"wonder-reader\"},\"reviews\":[],\"embeds\":[],\"preview\":null,\"tags\":[{\"name\":\"arts, culture, entertainment and media\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"arts-culture-entertainment-and-media\"},{\"name\":\"health\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"health\"},{\"name\":\"disease and condition\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"disease-and-condition\"},{\"name\":\"James Hamblin\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"james-hamblin\"},{\"name\":\"newsletter\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"newsletter\"},{\"name\":\"reader\",\"url\":null,\"__typename\":\"Tag\",\"slug\":\"reader\"}],\"layout\":\"standard\",\"secondaryByline\":\"\",\"dek\":\"One of the most humbling parts of being alive is realizing you’ve been doing a simple thing wrong.\",\"url\":\"https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/your-armpits-are-trying-to-tell-you-something/680786/\",\"shareText\":\"\\\"Did you know that the best time to apply deodorant is right before bed? 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