My friend, Jean, sent me this hilarious YouTube video. It’s obviously drenched in satire, but the reality isn’t far off.
Psychologists like Barry Schwartz, a professor at Swarthmore College and the author of The Paradox of Choice continue to find that these little issues have a big overall effect. Little by little, these seemingly insignificant decisions about insignificant issues that we deal with hundreds of times every day, slowly suck the satisfaction right out of life. (Not to mention, sucking the energy out of your work day).
For Schwartz, the big problem is that we’re maximizing–trying to find the very best option, when we should be sufficing–picking an option that will suit us just fine, even if it isn’t the very best.
There’s a few … [ Read More ]
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Have you ever received a birthday gift you didn’t ask for? Have you ever been frustrated because your teammates, employees, kids, or spouses don’t do what you ask, even though you asked really nicely and they claim they want to help? New research suggests that getting what you want from other people is actually pretty simple, but you and I over-complicate it.
Follow these 3 Rules to start getting what you want from others.
Rule #1: Do Gift-Givers a Favor and Be Picky
When we give people a great big birthday wish list from which to choose, or provide helpful employees, peers or vendors with a long list of ways to pitch in, we’re making it easier for them to help, right?
Wrong. In a series of … [ Read More ]
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A new study shows that men aren’t necessarily bigger risk-takers than women. Swedish researcher Margaret Bohlin, found that girls in the modern age are becoming more likely to listen to loud music, get drunk, have sex and buy adjustable rate mortgages.
What’s really fascinating is that even though girls are taking the same risks, they still see the risks very differently than boys. In Bohlin’s study, adolescent boys underestimated risks, whereas girls acknowledged the real dangers of their behavior, and then decide to take the risk anyway. Why? Because listening to loud music at home and going to racous dance clubs where the bass threatens to shatter their eardrums with every thump was important to establishing their personal identity. “Risks be damned!” they said (probably).
13 … [ Read More ]
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Thinking of making a risky move? Most of us are, most of the time. It comes with the territory when you have freedom of choice. On the topic of taking risks people fall into one of two camps. You either believe that risk is the other spice of life; or that foolish risks are why we’re all broke, scared and desperate right now.
But risk isn’t the problem or the solution. Some risks are good and some are bad. Everyone should take good risks and nobody should take bad risks. (Breathtaking insight, eh?)
The problem, of course, is telling the difference between the good and bad risks. Answering the two questions below will do wonders for your risk-evaluation skills.
1. Is … [ Read More ]
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