The Experiencing Self

What we learn from this talk is that there are two different ways of thinking about happiness. The father of behavioural economics and Nobel Prize in Economics winner, Daniel Kahneman, explains this dichotomy well. Before explaining what the Experiencing and Remembering Selves are, it is worth quickly reviewing the history of happiness. It would not … Read more

Strategy 7: Transform Your War into a Crusade: Morale Strategies (The 33 Strategies of War)

You know, I am sure, that not numbers or strength brings victory in war; but whichever army goes into battle stronger in soul, their enemies generally cannot withstand them. Xenophon (430?-355? B.C.) In this chapter, Greene turns our attention to team motivation. To successfully build a winning army of any kind, you must know how … Read more

Myth 7: Adolescence is Inevitably a time of Emotional Turmoil (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)

It has been a long-held belief that adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil. There is no shortage of people who have confirmed this claim. The first notable mention can be traced back to 1904, when the first president of the American Psychological Association, G. Stanley Hall referred to adolescence as a time of “storm … Read more

Peterson’s Logos Argument, or why Atheists aren’t Atheists

Many months ago, “logos” was re-popularized by Jordan Peterson, who has used it as a weapon against atheists. To Peterson, “logos” proves that atheists only think they are atheists – they are just fooling themselves. In a debate he had with Susan Blackmore, Peterson said that “secular” societies are built on top of Christian foundations … Read more

Myth 6: Playing Mozart’s Music to Infants Boosts Their Intelligence (Great Myths of Popular Psychology)

Many people are familiar with the idea that getting babies to listen to Mozart will turn them into geniuses. This news was also reported in China in 2001.  But how did it start? A study in the early 90’s showed that performance on one task immediately after listening to Mozart improved. But this does not … Read more

Strategy 6: Segment Your Forces (The 33 Strategies of War)

The Controlled Chaos Strategy People often look for strategies in life because they fear independent thinking. They seek out a fixed formula that they can apply with success. They want to eliminate uncertainty, but unfortunately, no such strategy exists. Instead, the lesson from history is that it is better to always have options, to never … Read more

Myth 5: Subliminal Messages Can Persuade People to Purchase Products (50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology)

There is a widespread belief that marketers and psychologists have figured out how to hack our brains by using subliminal messages. Some audiotapes claim to improve your sex life, to enlarge a woman’s breasts, and to make you wiser, healthier, and wealthier. However, there is evidence to support the idea of subliminal messaging under tightly … Read more