The truth is, we are a culture built on a reward system, and our instinctive pursuit of pleasure can often lead us astray. We will rationalize anything into an excuse to indulge in whatever it is that makes us feel temporarily satiated.

When it comes to birthdays, I think there are two camps. There are people like me, who choose to treat it like any other day, and then there are the 'birthday people.' You know, those people who claim the full month in which they were born as their own.

I often liken my love life to the pathetic fallacy found in a Bronte novel: a long and winding road tented by storm clouds and rain. Kidding.

A little confidence can make the simplest of T-shirts look like a million bucks.

There is something transformative about the act of finding your own way without a to-do list.

I've never really turned to my dad for anything, I think out of fear of the label of nepotism.

I like to refer to my small social circle as 'boutique.' And much like the hotels of the same ilk, my friends are all unique, high quality, and serve me good food. But more than that, they teach me things about the world and about myself that I couldn't learn anywhere else.

I've grown up around some incredibly funny people, which has been a blessing and curse because now I've been completely spoiled in terms of what I find funny.

Growing up, my height was faithfully tracked from infancy to my late teens on the door frame of my mom's office - the only place in my family's home in Toronto where writing on the walls was encouraged.

Valentine's Day is one of those tricky celebrations where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you love it, you're buying into a holiday created to sell greeting cards, bad bouquets, and shoddy love-themed stuffed animals. And if you're opposed to it, you're considered lonely and single and have clearly never had a valentine.

Despite probably needing one, I don't have a therapist. Why spend the money on my mental health when I can do far more productive things such as purchase iPhone apps and pay off parking tickets?

I grew up with my dad sitting us down at the holidays and putting on 'The Honeymooners.'

I will never have the willpower to completely swear off pizza or a good summer sale, but I'm working on realizing the difference between the occasional craving and the compulsion to mindlessly consume as a feeble means of self-medication.

The secret life of women is to men what the universe is to NASA - unimaginably infinite and completely undiscoverable.

It's that stubborn fixation on details that has invariably prevented me from getting excited about celebrating each passing year. Which is why my friends know that doing things such as throwing me surprise parties would only serve to surprise me with an overwhelming sense of panic and anxiety.

In many ways, the Internet is about diversification, and yet, in the wrong hands, the digital world can use those very examples to reinforce the narrowest of perspectives.

As a child, I seriously believed my family was going down the road to bankruptcy. I was denied virtually every popular trend, from heavily logoed Tommy Hilfiger windbreakers to amusement park season's passes.

It is important that we realize that words have meanings far beyond the dictionary definition.

In an age where overindulgence seems to be the norm, I can't help but look back and feel thankful that my parents chose to hold out on giving me everything that I wanted growing up.

Anxiety is my kryptonite.

My dad made a conscious choice to keep my family in Canada. I think he wanted us to have a pretty normal life and one that wasn't necessarily affected by the industry or all that comes with growing up in Hollywood.

Following a trend too closely is a risky thing. If not properly executed, you could easily end up looking uncomfortable, over-styled, and downright foolish.

I have the utmost respect for red carpet interviewers; it is such a hard job.

What I loved about 'The Beverly Hillbillies' was that it was about family love and growth and understanding. The riches-to-rags premise is just the wallpaper.

Lauryn Hill quietly released 'Lose Myself' as part of the 'Surf's Up' motion picture soundtrack - shocking, I know. It's not only one of the best summer tracks you'll add to your catalogue: it's also one of the most honest and heartfelt songs she's has ever written.

I've never really learned anything when I feel like it's being forced down my throat.

There was a time in my life when people called me 'Denim Dan.' I didn't like it. And fortunately for my self-esteem, it didn't stick for very long. I was 12, and I was given the name by my classmates after I showed up to the first day of school in - wait for it - triple denim.

So often, I think shows get into these grooves where they know the characters hit, and they just write for it over and over and over again.

Thinking back, the majority of the conflicts I've had in my life have been a result of offering up my two unwelcome cents, crossing that line between constructive truth-telling and preaching.

I remember quite clearly a time when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I was six, I was worry-free, and I aspired to be an actor-slash-pizza maker. To me, the decision was simple; that is what would make me happy.

Our phones have created what I like to call SADD - Social Attention Deficit Disorder.

I had always been scared of the unknown, and I think it had a lot to do with a lack of self-confidence (and wearing thick, dark-rimmed glasses before they were considered cool).

'Real talk' refers to the act of speaking the honest truth about something or someone without fear of consequence.

There was a commonality in a lot of the private school experiences that I had of children whose lives were not their own. They thought they were their own, but they were essentially gifted this life by their parents. So they were spending money; they were going on trips - I guess, in a way, it is their life, but they didn't earn it.

After getting the job at MTV, the challenge was, 'How do I start my career as a television host without people holding my dad's career over my head?' It's a very easy thing for people to look to my dad and say, 'Well, he got his job because of this.'

I went to private school and then chose to go to public school because I didn't like the private school experience; I didn't like that vibe.

When I feel like treating myself, I'll either turn to food or clothes. Bad food. Expensive clothes. Ironically, I'm usually rewarding myself for a solid week of healthy eating or a nice paycheque.

In my head, I'm a purist that doesn't require anything but a group of good friends and a bottle of wine. In reality, I'm co-dependent on my iPhone and fully conscious of the fact that my attention span is corroding.

When I was working at MTV, people would e-mail me asking where I bought my frames, and I always felt a little uneasy telling a teenager to go out and pick up a $400 pair of glasses.

'Simply the Best' has always been one of my favourite songs and a song that I've always thought was far deeper than what you imagine it to be at first listen. I found the lyrics to be really, oddly beautiful, considering you rarely stop and think about them.

To edit someone from your life must be a properly evaluated decision. After all, the act of distancing yourself is difficult and, if executed improperly, could prove even more troublesome than if you were to have done nothing at all. The key is to create the distance gradually - a 'fade out' as I like to call it.

Shopping for guys in Toronto is a really tough thing because there's not a huge market for it.

I remember, before I started high school, I was really intrigued by the Buddy Holly/James Dean style of glasses. This was a long, long time before they were sold at every Urban Outfitters.

My parents have - my dad has managed to succeed at his craft. So, you know, it's not like I was struggling in my life.

I know that in writer's rooms across North America, there are still conversations about how much is too much when it comes to intimacy between, in my case, two men. That's an insane conversation to be having.

Ironically, fashion trends, be it denim or polka dots, have a tendency to perpetuate the contrary.

What skills I lacked in, say, math or science, I like to think I made up for in my ability to read people and situations with great clarity. I therefore considered myself as a sort of valued soothsayer when it came to dispensing opinions to my friends about their life choices or relationships.

Don't get me wrong: I'm a sucker for weddings. I'll get misty-eyed watching the union of two perfect strangers. But in some cases - and I need to stress some cases - I feel like we're getting blindsided by the spectacle of it all.

I've always considered myself a master in the art of real talk.

I love food, and I'm a foodie; I try to hit as many restaurants as I can.