psychology

we showed that when asked to focus on creating more of a behavior, people almost exclusively generated interventions aimed at increasing promoting pressures, like rewards. When focused on creating less of a behavior, they disproportionately generated interventions ramping up inhibiting pressures, like punishments.

Xi has made it clear that his top priority is to transform China into a self-reliant global superpower. He aims to be the leader who definitively leaves China’s “century of humiliation”—a reference to the long era of China’s perceived subservience to Western powers—behind. In this context, the government’s current GDP growth target of around five

‘Don’t be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you.’

We think of gang members as lawless, impulsive psychopaths, and surely there are many who fall into this category, but they know a lot more about trust and cooperation than we give them credit for.

Even similarity of stuff you don’t like helps you bond with others. Research shows that shared complaints make us feel closer to others. Do you both dislike the same person?

choices means losing possibilities. And having so many choices increases the chance of regret.

15. Goal Dilution Effect:

We assume that the more arguments we give, the better our case. In reality, our weakest arguments dilute the strongest. Generally, you’ll only be as convincing as your worst point, so instead of making as many arguments as you can, make only the best.

First, remember that 80 percent of changing anything is about why you want to change and only 20 percent is about how you do it. It is as simple as having a reason and deciding that you want to change your beliefs. Take responsibility.

in general, better intervention design happens when you have as many potential insights as possible at the beginning of the process—a big, wide funnel of opportunities for behavior change that slowly gets narrower as we hone in on pressures we’re able to successfully design interventions around. The more insights we have to start with and the