Astounding Facts About Mental Behavior

Mass Self-Delusion



80 - 90 % of people believe they're above-average drivers. Mathematically, this is impossible. A huge segment of humanity is locked into self-deceit. In so many situations like this, rational objectivity is subverted by irrational bias.

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Handling money makes you stronger. Not just feel stronger -- but stronger. Recent studies support this fact. Dollars were the instigators. Do higher-denominations boost this effect? Next time you challenge an opponent to arm-wrestling, stuff a secret wad of cash in your other fist.



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Red-pen users make more corrections than blue-pen users. Teachers, take note. If you're prone to be critical, use a blue pen to correct papers in order to balance your judgement. If you're an easy-going sort, wield a red pen instead.



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Shaking your head up and down (for example, while watching a bouncing ball) will make you more agreeable. Your unconscious "nodding" motion triggers a "yes" response in your conscious brain. Motor cortex, meet frontal cortex. United Nations, listen up: during your next session, install an oscillating-light screen sequencing up-and-down in front of the assembled, in uniform repetition. The potential result: multiple treaties...followed by World Peace.



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Gesturing and doodling help thinking. Gestures in particular help others to better understand us. During problem-solving and specific communication, gestures often conflict with, and trump, our rational conscious thought, pointing us to the correct (intuitive) solution.




...From Mind Bluff