The so-called Batman Effect encourages altruism by forcing people out of mental autopilot and triggering prosocial behavior – even if it happens unconsciously. In a study conducted in Italy, researchers tracked people’s willingness to give up their seat to a visibly pregnant woman on a crowded subway. Over a total of 138 rides, 67.21% of…
Learning to cook vs. following a recipe is an example of first principles thinking. For those who may not be familiar with it, first principles thinking is “designed to relentlessly pursue the foundations of any given problem from fundamental truths.” First principles was recently re-popularized by Elon Musk. Following a recipe allows you to create…
Did Sherlock Holmes practice mindfulness? I’ve read just about every Holmes story (really!) and there’s no mention of mindfulness or meditation. Holmes certainly never sat cross-legged on a cushion or uttered ‘om’ in any of the stories. However, in her book Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, psychologist Maria Konnikova describes Holmes as the…
Whenever you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, you can use the novelty rule to break up the monotony. Most adults settle into routines, both in their personal and professional lives. These routines are everywhere: people take the same route to work, they eat the same item from their favorite restaurant, or they shop…
The Carly Simon paradox is inspired by her 1972 song lyrics, “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you.” Carly claims the subject of the song is vain for thinking the song is about them. However, assuming the song is about them, they aren’t really vain – are they? And if the…
Have you noticed there’s less color in our lives? Vibrant colors like bright reds, blues, and greens seem to be fading from popular use and are being replaced by more subdued grays, beiges, blacks, and neutral tones. This is happening in almost every industry – from automobiles to interior design, fashion and makeup, and even…
Yes, this is a very unique blog about redundant extra words. As a words matter guy, I’m often struck by seemingly common phrases which don’t make logical sense. The phrase ‘I could care less’ is five times more prevalent in American English than the correct phrase ‘I couldn’t care less.’ Lately, I’ve been hearing a…
I recently met with a former close colleague to catch up and celebrate the birth of his first child. During a wide-ranging 4-hour (!) conversation, my friend dropped an intriguing nugget: First born girls look more like their fathers than their mothers so their fathers are more likely to accept them, as historically men have…
As my mantra is “Words Matter,” I’m fascinated by the etymology of words, how different cultures use language, and when people misuse English. I’ve covered spelling bees, written about mondegreens and eggcorns, and advocated for the banishing of overused words. So, it’s probably not surprising I’m fascinated with jokes that contain a play on words. Here’s one I heard recently: A woman was…
According to neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, author of How Emotions Are Made, emotions aren’t hardwired in your brain but are instead “made in the moment.“ Historically, scientists believed your brain triggers an evolutionary response to external factors, causing your body to act in a predetermined way. For example, if you saw a bear in the woods, you…