The World's Best Book Summaries
How do we make decisions? What factors influence our decision-making process? Are our decisions rational? In the book Predictably Irrational, author Dan Ariely explains that humans make irrational decisions that are so predictable that they are often taken advantage of by society, especially the marketing industry. He also explains how relativity makes decisions for you. Keep reading to learn the psychology behind how we make decisions.
What do men and women look for in a mate? How does evolution affect sexual behavior? How is jealousy a construct of evolution? Human babies take a long time to develop after birth. This long period of child care requires participation from females and males which has created some mating-related behaviors. Everything from mate selection, to jealousy, to testing loyalty, to how society perceives promiscuity comes from evolution. Keep reading for more on evolutionary relationships.
What is Seligman’s positive psychology? What are the six core virtues that are celebrated across all civilizations? Positive psychology is a relatively new field of science, founded in 1998 by Martin Seligman. This science attempts to elevate the human experience instead of treating the disorder. In his studies, Seligman discovered six core values that stretch across all cultures. Keep reading to learn more about Seligman’s positive psychology and the six core values.
How do companies get away with misleading customers into buying their products? How can statistics be manipulated for deceptive advertising? If a company can’t find a statistic that makes them look good, then they resort to plan B: deceptive marketing. The top two methods for this are to either focus on semi-related figures or to attribute correlation to causation. Learn more about these deceptive advertising techniques below.
How is pregnancy a competition between mother and fetus? Why does a natural birth bond a mother and child? Why do babies cry? Evolutionary medicine says that pregnancy is a war between the mother and fetus. This is because the fetus manipulates the mother’s body to provide more nutrients, sometimes at the cost of the mother’s health. Even after birth, a baby will naturally alert its mother to its needs. Keep reading for more information on the evolution of human pregnancy.
What does the psychology of expectations tell us? Is it possible to unlearn expectations? The psychology of expectations says that you will get what you expect. This means that if you expect Coke to taste better than Pepsi, then it will, even if you’d rate Pepsi better in a blind taste test. This is because expectations have a huge impact on your experiences. Keep reading to learn more about the psychology of expectations.
Why are religion and altruism connected? How did religion play a role in cultural evolution? Whether you’re religious or not, there is no denying that religion has played a huge role in shaping our culture and our ideas of morality. As a cultural trait, religion encouraged patterns of mutual trust and obligation—altruism—that aided in group survival and success in the competition with other groups. Continue reading to learn how religion and altruism aided group survival.
Are you looking for Predictably Irrational quotes? What can Dan Ariely teach you about rational decision-making? Predictably Irrational is a book about behavioral economics and how we all make frequent, irrational decisions. These quotes from author Dan Ariely highlight the most important topics explored in the book. Keep reading for the best quotes from Predictably Irrational.
Why do we get a fever when we get sick? Should we treat the symptoms of our illnesses? Are symptoms just defenses against illness by the body? The body has created natural defenses to combat infections. While symptoms may seem like they are part of the sickness, they are usually part of the solution. Sometimes treating a symptom can actually delay the body’s healing process. Keep reading to learn about the body’s defenses against sickness.
What is the difference between conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption? Why are we happy making less money as long as it’s more than our peers? Inconspicuous consumption is when we spend money for our own benefit, such as on a vacation, while conspicuous consumption is when we buy materialistic things to demonstrate our wealth. Inconspicuous consumption will bring you more long-term happiness that is absolute, rather than relative happiness. Keep reading to learn why we should only be focusing on inconspicuous consumption.