Category: Thinking

  • The explorer, Katherine Rundell

    “What if I crash?” said Fred. “You will have to refrain from doing so.” “You have not, I noticed, said you won’t. You have only said that you can’t.   I say you can.” “I’m scared, alright?” said Fred.  “Then you will make the decision to steer towards fear.  I think you can.  I think you…

  • Time management

    Not about being on time…  And not about shaving off bits of time through efficiency savings.  It’s just about priorities, and scheduling them.  So ask what you Xmas round robin letter next year to say?  What do you want next year’s performance review at work to say? People really bad at estimating how much time…

  • Pride

    Authentic vs hubristic. Other languages have different words. No specific facial features, all about the body language!  Same in both kinds of pride! Some societies favour but most sanction. Authentic comes from sense of achievement. See gold medal winners. Hubristic comes from feeling superior to others – esp where pride display takes no account of…

  • Aggression

    Desperate vs Expert! Running out of options as trigger for desperate. Keep them talking as adrenaline rush doesn’t last long. Avoid shaming. Establish commonalities- ask questions that show interest. Expert as predatory – no signals, just gentle testing of boundaries eg inappropriate physical behaviour, comments, emotional engagement esp shame, guilt to get you in increasingly…

  • Authenticity

    People feel obliged to manufacture themselves as unique individuals, free from all the inhibitions and encumbrances of the past. Authenticity is the highest good. Not only is this impossible to achieve, but it leads to a tension that is difficult for people to resolve. Our supposed obligation to be self-created individuals is at complete variance…

  • Disgust

    Disgust starts early with bitter, sour tastes.  Protects us against toxins – but emotional component.  Bodily fluids, diseased appearance, unusual sexual practices are pretty universal. The fear of contamination is often part of disgust, and unpleasant textures/smells are often associated with minority social groups. Propensity to disgust associated with political conservatism, even when controlled for other…

  • Creativity

    Not just originality – needs to be task appropriate.  4 levels – mini C is interpretive, the first stage of working something out for yourself, little C is everyday, introducing your own spin on it, Pro C is expert, the work of someone who is skilled and practiced, Big C is legendary, where a radical new idea is produced.  You…

  • Optimism bias

    Some people say the secret to happiness is low expectations…  So it’s a very good theory, but it turns out to be wrong for three reasons. Number one: Whatever happens, whether you succeed or you fail, people with high expectations always feel better. Because how we feel when we get dumped or win employee of…