🧠 7 Psychology Facts That Will Improve Your Life 🧠
1 You are irrational, but this can be your advantage.
Most people believe that they think logically and make rational decisions. However, many books written in the last 10-15 years refute this assertion.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking, Fast and Slow explains that most decisions in our lives are made in seconds and are based on emotions and intuition. This makes us fall into traps and explains our vulnerability to manipulation.
But irrationality isn’t always bad for us. In his book, The Power of Instant Decisions: The Power of Intuition, Malcolm Gladwell explains that intuitive decision-making helps us accomplish things that would be impossible without this ability.
A good example is the rapid decision-making in sports, which forces one to go beyond rational thinking and act ahead of the thought process. This allows athletes to see the ball flying through the air and catch it without calculating its trajectory and landing point. This knowledge without thought is irrationality in its purest form.
How to apply this in life
People are used to taking the time to think, to consider the issue from all sides and to make a thoughtful decision. But in our time, when rapid development penetrates all spheres of life, decision-making often occurs in the heat of the moment, and this is normal.
Knowing that decisions are actually made by the irrational mind, you can learn to choose quickly. If you don't like computer games or sports, even a simple timed game like word search can help you develop the ability to make quick and correct choices.
2 You underestimate the role of chaos and luck
Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his books The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness proves to people that they:
- tend to underestimate the impact of chaos on their lives;
- use logic to determine what happened after it happened, even when the event was an accident.
But chance can work in your favor. In his book The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki argues that sometimes the best thing we can do is trust the collective wisdom.
For example, if you want to invest smartly, the best option is to ask random people what brands they know and build an investment portfolio based on their answers. This random approach will help you get much more than if you entrusted your money to a broker.
How to apply this in life
Don't be afraid to make decisions based on other people's opinions. For example, if you're having trouble at work, ask people from another department how they would solve your problem. If you want to know what people think about your new product, ask random customers.
3 You are wrongly obsessed with talent.
The fact that we consider talent as the main criterion for success can be explained by our tendency to look for cause and effect. But many studies prove that talent is not needed when it comes to success in life and work.
The books Talent Doesn't Matter by Geoff Colvin and Stop Dreaming and Get Real! by Cal Newport show that while talent is useful, it's not all that's needed for success.
In the book “Master the Game” by Robert Greene, the author explains that success largely depends on acquired experience, practice and achieving mastery in the chosen field.
Lack of talent is just an excuse for not being successful in your chosen endeavor.
How to apply this in life
Talent is 90% self-created, not given by nature. Choose the area in which you want to succeed and get to work.
4 Thinking negatively is natural, but you can change it
In his book How the Brain Works, Steven Pinker explains that from an evolutionary perspective, it is advantageous for humans to think negatively. Emotions like fear and anger protect us from predators and enemies, while feelings like gratitude and pride are deadly. These emotions are good for lying down and enjoying life, but they will not help you survive.
On the other hand, modern research confirms that people live longer and better if they are happy. Positive emotions even help prevent diseases. It turns out that positivity was dangerous for our cave ancestors, but for modern humans, positive emotions are the key to a good life.
In her book Positivity, Barbara Fredrickson reveals the secret to a happy life. It consists of having three times more positive emotions than negative ones. According to psychologist Martin Seligman, author of the book How to Learn Optimism, even the most negative person can become happy by doing simple exercises.
How to apply this in life
It's not just you who are prone to negativity, but everyone around you. If you're a manager, know that everyone on your team is prone to negative thinking.
By investing in their well-being, you increase your team’s productivity and prevent turnover. And the best way to do this is to listen. Ask how they feel at work, what they would like to change, what they are missing, and help them as much as you can.
5 You love to work, but you don’t realize it.
In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience , American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as a state in which we lose track of time and enjoy the present moment. Because flow combines pleasure and progress, it is this state that allows us to perform really well.
According to the book Drive: What Really Motivates Us by Daniel Pink, humans have what might be called intrinsic motivation—the drive to do something because it gives them a sense of inner satisfaction.
Intrinsic motivation is natural to humans: we are predisposed to action, work, or problem solving. Such motivation also exists in primates, who enjoy solving problems without any reward or reason.
So why do most of us view work as punishment rather than play? Neil Fiore, in The Easy Way to Stop Procrastinating, explains that we lose the ability to enjoy work in school. However, with the right mindset, there’s nothing stopping you from reviving your inner child and enjoying work again.
How to apply this in life
The best thing you can do to get into a flow state is to focus and eliminate distractions. Find what helps you focus and create the conditions you need.
All that remains is to solve the problem using your skills and at the same time see a clear goal. A small challenge to your own abilities will also be beneficial. Medium-difficulty tasks help you enter the flow state much better than very difficult or too easy ones.
6 Focusing on the present moment is the key to productivity and happiness
The flow state is when you avoid any thoughts that are not relevant to the present moment and focus completely on the task at hand.
Most people find it difficult to enter this state, but it is worth trying. The closer you get to full concentration, the more you get done and the happier you become.
How to apply this in life
It will be difficult for you to fully concentrate on a task if you don't understand what flow is.
Barbara Fredrickson believes that the best way to become happy and learn to focus on the present moment is to develop a habit of meditation. Instead of drinking tea after lunch, find a quiet place and meditate for at least five minutes – concentrate on your breathing and do not allow any thoughts.
7 Charisma gives real power
Even the earliest self-help books, like Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, mention that the impression you make on others is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. But remember, other people use it too, like psychopaths.
It is charisma, not the devil's spell or handcuffs, that makes you fall under their influence. Such people have great charisma and know how to use it. The books “Snakes in Suits: How to Protect Yourself from Psychopaths at Work” by Pavel Babiak and Robert Hare and “The Wisdom of Psychopaths” by Kevin Dutton say that psychopaths often gain power because of their magnetism.
What's so special about charisma? In her book Charisma: How to Influence, Persuade, and Inspire, Olivia Fox Cabane explains that the key to being charismatic is giving the impression that you're stronger, better off, more powerful, or more influential than others, and that you use that power to help them.
But that's just one side of charisma. Treating people with warmth is also a good option. The simplest advice, dating back to Carnegie, is to smile.
How to apply this in life
You can't fake charisma if you don't actually feel the right feelings – self-confidence, caring about people, positivity. However, there is one way to trick yourself into being more charismatic.
An easy way to feel more confident before a presentation or meeting is to imagine that you are a big, strong animal, like a gorilla or a lion. Our brains respond quickly to imagination because it engages the limbic system faster than the prefrontal cortex, where cause and effect relationships are established. Your body language will change in response to the imaginary animal, so you will look and feel more charismatic.