A Chrome extension that reads to youHear anyPage.

In the 1990s, psychologists noticed something odd about how we remember experiences. We don't judge a day, a vacation or a meal by adding up every moment. Instead, our brains keep two snapshots: the peak and the end.

Researchers called this the peak-end rule. It explains why a miserable flight home can feel like a bad trip, and why a hard week that ends on a laugh can feel surprisingly fine.

The practical lesson is simple. If you want a day to feel good, protect the last hour of it.