How to succeed at self-sabotage. Most of us claim we want to be happy—to have meaningful lives, enjoy ourselves, experience fulfillment, and share love and friendship with other people and maybe other species, like dogs, cats, birds, and whatnot. Strangely enough, however, some people act as if they just want to be miserable, and they succeed remarkably at inviting misery into their lives, even though they get little apparent benefit from it, since being miserable doesn’t help them find lovers and friends, get better jobs, make more money, or go on more interesting vacations. Why do they do this?

You’re on your first date, things are already a little uncomfortable and awkward, so what’s worse than watching a movie that only makes the awkwardness stand out more? Movies are supposed to be the easy out in easing the tension between the two of you, allowing you to have some quiet time

Bill Gates has become a powerful influence on publishing. An endorsement from the philanthropist and Microsoft cofounder can cause tangible sales spikes, reminiscent of the golden ticket that once came with being picked for Oprah’s book club. So just what does Gates read? Quartz manually compiled all 186 of the books mentioned on his blog, which dates back to January 2010, and organized them by topic. We’ve included all titles, even those of which Gates was mostly critical, like Matt Ridley’s The Rational Optimist. But this is relatively rare; Gates usually only blogs about books he recommends.

Time travel as we see it in movies—using DeLoreans, phone booths, hot tubs, and the like—obviously doesn’t exist. But throughout history, people have insisted that they somehow managed to do it. Though most of their wild tales were eventually disproven, the stories are still incredible. Here are five of the most memorable.

We are outspoken about our optimism. These days, though, optimism seems to be in short supply. The headlines are filled with awful news. Every day brings a different story of political division, violence, or natural disaster. Image Despite the headlines, we see a world that’s getting better.

Check out TIME's annual list of the most influential people.

Arguments are inevitable in any relationship — especially if you’re being a bitch. But fighting with your dude doesn’t necessarily have to mean leaving a FEMA-level dating-disaster blast zone in your wake. There are certain clichés that will never, ever be a good idea in the heat of battle. Make sure you don’t utter one …

Top things that usually keep guys attention

As a veteran blogger, I’ve been around the block a bit, and in that time I’ve seen just about every type of blogging there is. I’ve seen masters of prose, masters of spin, masters of drama, and masters of nothing at all. And while each of us has our own story to tell, and our own way to do it, there’s one consistency among all of us that no matter how hard we try, we just can’t shake - we love to stretch the truth. We can’t help ourselves!

Why are there such huge gaps in your bathroom stall doors?

From Thaddeus Wolfe to Amber Cowan, these artists are taking the medium in radical new directions.

If you’re test-driving a car at a dealership pay attention to the check engine light when you turn the key: it should temporarily flicker then go away. If it doesn’t, the dash has been tampered with to mask a potential issue. Also, if a dealership car is parked over a puddle they do not want you looking underneath it.

Miles Bowe rounds up the best of Bandcamp with new releases by Leyland Kirby, Smurphy, NMESH and more.

It’s been a damn good year for video games. The arrival of new consoles like the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One X has ushered in a slew of new games, from long-awaited sequels to stunning open world adventures. Here’s a look at TIME’s top picks of the year.

Bill Gates shares five amazing books he read in 2017 including “The Best We Could Do” by Thi Bui, “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond, “Believe Me” by Eddie Izzard, “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen, and “Energy and Civilization” by Vaclav Smil.

Need to buy a board game? Our 2017 guide has you covered.

We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in business, tech, and science writing.

There's nothing better than curling up next to a fire with a good book, especially during the bitter cold winter! This infographic shares some great book options, old and new, to cozy up with.

We are running out of people for some especially vital jobs.

Used since hundreds of years ago, books are probably the most important step in mankind's evolution. From the papyrus scrolls used in the Ancient Egypt and the manuscripts in the monasteries of The Middle Ages, books evolved a lot. Let's find out which are the top 10 most expensive books ever sold.

Believe it or not, some guys like to go shopping; unfortunately, neither of them could be reached for comment. Most of the time, a shopping hostage will keep himself occupied staring at naked mannequins and looking for the nearest GameStop. Just make sure not to utter any of the following lines, lest your current couple’s …

As it blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Childish Gambino's "This Is America" also debuts atop Billboard's Streaming Songs chart (dated May 19). The virality of its socially conscious music video, which finds Gambino alternating between spirited dancing and striking gun violence, drives the entrance, as "America" arrives with 65.3 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 10, according to Nielsen Music, with a whopping 68 percent from video views.

My friend, Carmine Gallo, has written a book called The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty. The Apple Store is the most profitable retailer in America, generating an average of $5,600 per square foot and attracting more...

Some industries tend to have more use for social media than others.

It was quite a year, lets take a look at all the best..

Blogging isn't a case of “If you post it, they will come.” Your role as a blogger doesn't end as soon as you hit Publish. In fact, that’s only the beginning.

TIME’s No. 1 Song of 2012: No, It’s Not ‘Gangnam Style’

Herod. Hitler. Hussein. History is full of notorious baddies — and those are just the H’s we can think of off the top of our heads.

Mattel's highly sought-after American Girl dolls "celebrate girls and all that they can be," according to the company's website, and each comes complete with a personal story line. There's Julie...

2012 shattered weather records around the world. Take a look through our gallery featuring breathtaking albeit terrifying photos of the year's most extreme.

Every so often a person gets fired for reasons that would make even the most no-nonsense boss scratch his head.

Your childhood was a lie. More precisely, it was a series of lies - here are ten surprising facts that'll ruin your childhood memories.

There are some startlingly human traits that turn up in the creatures you'd least expect.