About

What is human progress, and how does it interface with human nature? Is there even such a thing as human nature? If so, how do we measure it?

The Psychology of Progress examines questions of Nature (how our brains and bodies are shaped by genes and our evolutionary past), Nurture (how our social environments, cultures, and upbringings shape our behavior), and Human Flourishing—how can psychological research inform what it means to live a good life and build a good society?

Who Am I?

I’m Adam Omary, a psychologist, neuroscientist, and Research Fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, where I work on HumanProgress.org. I am currently wrapping up my Ph.D. in Psychology at Harvard University, where I am advised by Dr. Steven Pinker. Before this, I was a QuestBridge Scholar at the University of Southern California, where I earned my B.A. in Cognitive Science and M.S. in Biostatistics.

I have conducted research on a variety of topics, including hormones and brain development (as an NIH Fellow working on the Human Connectome Project), puberty and the emergence of psychological sex differences, social media use and mental health, and the epidemiology of gender dysphoria. My writing has been published on Psychology Today, Human Progress, and numerous academic journals, including Child Development, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, The Journal of Child Neurology, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Cyberpsychology.

Behind all of my work lies a fascination with the human condition. I’m driven by a desire to deepen our understanding of human nature, promote mental health and rational optimism, and reduce polarization and cynicism through a data-driven approach. I will not pretend to have all of the answers; in fact, I will often pose more questions than answers. But I do believe that human progress is real and that there are solutions waiting to be discovered to any challenges set before us.

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The views and opinions expressed on this blog are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Cato Institute or Human Progress. Although some posts may contain work produced for Human Progress or the Cato Institute, this blog is maintained in a personal capacity.