The curtain closes, and everyone around you starts clapping. You’re clapping too, and as you do, you realize that you’re not really sure why. The show wasn’t that good. You’re probably going to ...

I sometimes joke that growing up in the Soviet Union prepared me for working as a journalist in the United States. That joke has become less funny now that the President is positioning applause as a ...

This post is co-authored by Ron Riggio and nonverbal communication expert Alan Crawley. When and why do we clap? We get startled, and we clap. We try to get our dog’s (or our child’s) attention, and ...

Buy this “Box of Applause” and put it on your desk at work. Finish those spreadsheets early? Box of Applause. Get your co-worker fired? Box of Applause. Sneak out at noon on Friday? Box of Applause.