“Why are the popular kids usually mean?” The question came from a friend, a parent of kids that go to school with my kids. We were at a bar mitzvah and watching the interaction of some of the kids gathered. Her daughter had just been blown off by a group of the “popular” kids and, as any parent would in her situation, she winced. Her daughter was fine, of course; kids have thicker skin than we sometimes imagine. But it still hurt, for all of us. Why are the popular kids usually mean? It’s good question. I didn’t have an answer at the time, but as I’ve thought about it since, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s because the very...