psychology

The ultimate lesson of the question was that detailed prior knowledge was less important than a way of thinking.

called another meeting and this time I asked where they felt their problems were. We discussed each point, and I asked them their opinions on which was the best way to proceed. With a few lowkeyed suggestions, at proper intervals, I let them develop my system themselves. At the end of the meeting when I actually presented my system, they

The modern emphasis on multitasking plays into our natural tendencies quite well, often in frustrating ways. Every new input, every new demand that we place on our attention is like a possible predator: Oooh, says the brain. Maybe I should pay attention to that instead.

They behave in accordance with what the contrast principle advises: sell the suit first, because when it comes time to look at sweaters, even expensive ones, their prices will not seem as high in comparison.

If you start with the way the world “is,” then try to make the way it “is” different, you are making an unconscious decision to improve within the context of a game someone else invented. You are competing. But if you start with the way it “could be,” if you assume the possible and stand in the future, you give yourself the opportunity to write new

Norepinephrine is similar but different. It’s the brain’s version of adrenaline, sometimes called noradrenaline. This neurochemical produces a huge increase in energy and alertness, stimulating both hyperactivity and hypervigilance. When you’re obsessed with an idea, can’t stop working

Martin Luther King was asked how, as a pacifist, he could be an admirer of Air Force General Daniel ‘Chappie’ James, then the nation’s highest-ranking black officer, Dr King replied, ‘I judge people by their own principles—not by my own.’

while nefarious groups certainly have negative effects on society, the order they enforce has positive externalities as well. The presence of yakuza in Japanese cities is negatively correlated with civil lawsuits.

Of course, it’s possible their increased buying wasn’t caused by the pull of reciprocity. Perhaps these customers simply liked what they’d tasted so much, they bought more of it. But a closer look doesn’t support this explanation. The recipients didn’t buy more of the candy they’d sampled; they only bought more of other types of candy. Seemingly,