Psychology Archives

How Fear Becomes a Negative Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

What exactly is a self-fulfilling prophecy? How do expectations influence behavior? A self-fulfilling prophecy is a psychological phenomenon whereby your (originally false) expectations manifest in your actual reality. In other words, by anticipating a certain outcome, you start behaving in ways to make it come true. For example, if you fear your partner will leave you, you could start acting in ways that push them way (even though, originally there was no basis to believe so). In this article, we’ll explore how negative expectations can turn into a negative self-fulfilling prophecy.

Liking Bias: Why We Ignore Faults in People We Love

What is the liking bias? How do you correct this tendency? The liking bias is the inclination to be emotionally attached to objects of affection (including humans and things) to the point where real faults and problems are ignored. You can correct this bias by inverting your opinion of your object of affection to see all the ways that person is unlikable. Read on to learn more about the liking bias.

How to Embrace Your Fear of Creativity

What is the connection between fear and creativity? How do fear and anxiety affect the creative process? According to Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Big Magic, fear is an inherent element of creativity. This is because fear’s main purpose is to protect us in situations of uncertainty, and, unfortunately, the creative process is full of uncertainty. Here is how you can embrace your fear of creativity and create nonetheless.

Nassim Taleb: The Psychology of Loss Aversion

What is loss aversion? Do you think it’s rational to be loss-averse? In psychology, loss aversion is a cognitive bias whereby individuals would rather avoid losses than acquire gains. Most psychologists describe humans’ sense of loss aversion as irrational. They justify this with math—studies show that people are willing to overpay to insure against financial loss. However, according to Nassim Taleb, loss aversion is an adaptive phenomenon because it helps us survive. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s take on loss aversion.

How Negative Thought Patterns Hurt Your Mental Health

Do you often find yourself slipping into negative thought patterns, ruminating about the past, or imagining the worst-case scenarios in the future? Can negative thinking attract negative experiences? According to Joseph Murphy, the author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, if you’re not entirely happy with your life experiences, it’s because you’re thinking “false” negative thoughts that contradict the positive force of Universal Consciousness. These negative thought patterns leave an imprint on your subconscious mind which can further perpetuate the cycle of negativity. In this article, you’ll learn how your negative thoughts inhibit the positive flow of Universal Consciousness,

The 3.5% Rule: The Passionate Few Change the World

What is the 3.5% rule? Does it really take only 3.5% of the population to challenge the status quo? According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, the state of the world is largely the result of small groups passionately fighting for what they want rather than a majority’s consensus. Indeed, history shows us that in order for your passionate few to succeed, you only need 3.5% of the population on your side. In this article, we’ll explore how the concept applies to politics, religion, language, and morality. We’ll conclude by explaining how you yourself can be

The Contrast Bias: Why We Misjudge Value

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Contrast Bias

What is the contrast bias? How can you avoid the contrast effect when making comparisons? The contrast bias is the tendency to compare things to one another using relative factors instead of judging each object on its own merit. This is why an object will be viewed as worse than it usually would be when compared to something much better. You can manage this bias by judging each object on its own merit rather than in relative terms. Read on to learn more about the contrast bias.

Social Proof Bias: Why We Follow the Crowd

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Social Proof Bias

What is social proof bias? What is the harm in following the herd? Social proof bias is the tendency to have faith in the prevailing consensus and the belief that the majority always knows better. This tendency can be particularly dangerous during stressful situations where you may tend to make ill-thought-out decisions. Read on to learn more about the social proof bias.

Joseph Murphy: How to Train Your Subconscious Mind

Is it possible to influence your subconscious mind through conscious thought? What can you do to train your subconscious mind to think more positively? In his book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy explains how to train your subconscious mind through conscious thought. The process to train your subconscious mind is very simple: You just need to use your conscious mind to imprint positive thoughts and images upon your subconscious mind. Murphy explains that there are two steps to making this process work for you: First, you need to decide to think positive thoughts. Then, you need to

Creative Challenges Are a Part of the Creative Process

What are some of the most common obstacles you encounter when creating? How do you deal with these challenges? No matter what creative pursuit you take on, there will always be attending annoyances. Developing an ability to cope with irritants and unpleasantness is as much a part of your job as a creator as actually creating. In this article, we’ll discuss how to handle the inevitable creative challenges you’ll encounter on your creative journey.