Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink.
Today, we are going to learn about 20 psychological facts that will blow your mind.
Now, let’s begin.
1.
Backup Plans According to a 2016 study from the University
of Pennsylvania, preparation can actually backfire.
Participants who created a Plan A and a Plan B, performed worse than those people who didn’t
bother preparing a backup.
Why?
Because creating a backup plan increases the likelihood of failure.
It’s like climbing a ladder with a safety net hanging below you.
You’re less likely to invest as much effort because you’re not afraid of falling.
In the same way, creating a backup plan decreases your motivation to accomplish your goals.
2.
Empathetic Yawns Yawning is actually a sign of empathy.
If you yawn in response to another person, you’re reacting and empathizing with their
state of exhaustion.
The problem is… not everyone is capable of empathy.
People with neurological damage or psychological disorders are less likely to yawn in response
to someone else.
In other words, if you yawn when other people yawn, you are probably an empathic person.
3.
Overwhelming Problems We hear about tragedies almost every day,
but, according to a 2005 study, we care about some tragedies more than others.
This study, also from the University of Pennsylvania, asked participants to donate to two separate
causes.
The first helps a single person dying from hunger.
The second helps millions of people struggling with the exact same problem.
Who do you think participants chose?
Even though the latter affects more people, participants cared more about the single,
starving person… and here’s why: People get overwhelmed by problems that seem
too large to fix.
You can’t feed a million people; but you can feed one person.
For most people, that makes the cause worth fighting for.
4.
Order of Words Your brain doesn’t see the world as literally
as you think.
It’s designed to recognize patterns and take shortcuts to make sense of the world
around you.
Language is a great example.
Try to read this sentence: Every word in this sentence is misspelled,
but most people can easily read the whole sentence.
That’s because your brain doesn’t care about each individual letter.
Instead, it recognizes patterns to identify and change the meaning of language.
5.
Psychological Reactance What happens when someone takes away your
freedom?
In a 2015 study, researchers explored a phenomenon called reactance.
When someone else restricts upon your behavior, you’re more likely to break that restriction
and contradict your behavior—all because you want to regain your freedom.
To put it another way, humans frequently do the opposite of what they’re told—even
if they violate their own beliefs in the process.
6.
Imagined Consumption Have you ever imagined yourself eating a meal?
A 2010 study from the journal Science discovered that your imagination significantly impacts
the foods you crave.
For example, if you frequently imagine yourself eating bowls of cereal, you’re less likely
to eat cereal than someone who doesn’t imagine the same experience.
That’s because imaginary consumption satisfies your mental cravings.
When you imagine yourself eating a specific meal, that craving decreases, even though
you didn’t eat any real food.
7.
Expected Misfortune No one likes to experience misfortune; but
the worst part isn’t the misfortune itself.
It’s the uncertainty.
Uncertainty is one of the most stressful experiences you can have.
Your brain tries to predict what will happen next.
It wants to know that you’re on the right path; but, when you aren’t sure, that uncertainty
creates stress.
Most people would rather experience misfortune than wait around, wondering how things are
going to turn out.
Even if the end result is negative, at least you know what to expect.
8.
Negativity Bias The world is filled with good things and bad
things, but good and evil don’t carry the same weight.
Humans naturally experience a negativity bias.
This isn’t an exact science, but experts estimate it takes five positive experiences
to outweigh a single negative experience in your life.
So fill your life with as much positivity as you can.
One bad thing does a lot more damage than you realize.
9.
Cute Aggression Have you ever said, “It’s so cute, I just
want to squeeze it!”
Or maybe you said, “That puppy is so adorable I could just eat him right up!”
Why do we squeeze, crush, and eat things we think are cute?
This contradictory expression is actually a well-researched neurological combination.
When you’re overwhelmed by positive emotions, your brain creates negative emotions to achieve
balance.
The end result is a weird fusion of joyous celebration and senseless aggression.
In other words, you see something so cute… you want to crush it in your arms.
10.
Second-Guessing Have you ever had this experience?
You have an opinion that you strongly believe to be correct, but other people are saying
something different.
Do you stick with your own opinion or do you follow the crowd?
Most people willingly sacrifice their opinions to join the majority.
They’ll give answers they know to be wrong simply to fit in.
If you’ve ever wondered how blatantly irrational ideas gather thousands of followers, this
common psychological phenomenon may be to blame.
11.
Memory Geons How do you recognize the millions of objects
in the world around you?
The human brain stores 24 basic shapes called geons, which your brain pieces together to
identify all kinds of objects.
Let’s experiment with two common geons, the cylinder and the cone.
What happens when you stack a cone on top of a cylinder?
It no longer looks like two separate shapes.
Instead, you recognize that object as a lamp.
What if you stack a cylinder on top of a cone?
Suddenly, it looks like something completely different, like a beaker in a laboratory.
Just like that, your brain can identify millions of unique and complicated objects, using only
a handful of simple shapes.
12.
Rewarding Anger Do you know someone who enjoys teasing people?
Some people like to pick on others, because anger, in their mind, is the most rewarding
emotion.
You might hear someone say, “I just like to get a reaction out of people,” but this
strange phenomenon is largely neurological.
According to a 2007 study, people with high levels of testosterone experience a psychological
boost when others get mad.
13.
Colorful Associations Do you associate colors with specific symbols
or emotions?
Red, for example, may signal violence or rage, while blue is tranquil and serene.
Almost everyone creates associations with each color, but those associations differ
around the world.
Many colors hold strong cultural and historical ties; so don’t be surprised if someone else
sees color a whole lot differently.
14.
Constructional Cues Objects are designed with psychological cues
in mind.
The size and shape of a doorknob, for example, encourages your brain to grab and turn it.
The same goes for mugs, buttons, and books, all of which prompt your brain with clever,
constructional cues.
But what happens when those cues don’t make sense?
Maybe you push a door when you should pull.
Or maybe the windows of a shop look open, even though the store itself is closed.
Anytime you encounter a mismatched set of cues, your brain can’t help but boil.
15.
Missing the Obvious Have you ever missed something that’s right
in front of you?
When you’re looking for something, your brain narrows its field of view.
It searches so hard for a specific object that it misses the most glaring outliers.
When somebody shows you what you missed, you might roll your eyes thinking, “how did
I miss that?”
Unfortunately, your brain… isn’t always paying attention.
16.
Universal Emotions According to psychologist and professor Paul
Eckman, emotions are universal.
No matter where you go, people can recognize seven ubiquitous emotions.
Those emotions are joy, sadness, anger, contempt, surprise, disgust, and fear.
While the emotions are universal, the way we communicate those emotions are not.
Hand gestures, for example, can mean dramatically different things in different parts of the
world.
17.
The Perception of Time Your brain doesn’t perceive time consistently.
Sometimes, an hour flies by in what feels like 5 minutes.
Other times, one hour feels like two hours, three hours, or even more.
So why do we experience such an unusual relationship with time?
It’s all about attention.
When you’re not paying attention to how much time has passed, it seems to disappear.
But the moment you start watching the clock, time slows to a crawl.
18.
Persuasive Stories The most persuasive stories are not always
the most scientific.
Surveys show that personal stories hold more persuasive power than data-driven research.
Why?
Because we can relate to personal stories.
We can put ourselves in another person’s shoes; therefore, their stories carry more
weight.
Yes, data is important; and we probably should value science over personal anecdotes.
But your brain doesn’t always play by the rules.
19.
Pastoral Moods Have you ever stared at a painting of a peaceful
meadow?
Or a picture of a forest in the mountains?
These beautiful landscapes have a profound effect on the human brain.
A 1984 study found that natural scenery promotes psychological balance and healing.
In other words, your brain likes to look at picture-perfect images of the world around
you.
Once glance at a piece of scenery can change your mood and improve your state of mind.
20.
Blind Optimism Are people naturally trustworthy?
Most people would say no.
People lie, cheat, and steal on a daily basis; but seeing the worst in others damages your
mental health.
Turns out, the most trusting people are also the happiest.
It pays to see the world through rose colored glasses… even if a few bad people prove
otherwise.
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