Psychology Archives

The Instinctive Reaction Tendency—Explained

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Instinctive Reaction Tendency

What is the instinctive reaction tendency? How do you keep calm in stressful situations? The instinctive reaction tendency is the inclination to react without thinking during stressful situations leading to ill-informed decision making. You can control the tendency by keeping calm during stressful situations and recognizing that you still have some time to think methodically before making a decision. Read on to learn more about the instinctive reaction tendency.

Loss Aversion Bias: Explained With Examples

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Loss Aversion Bias

What is loss aversion bias? How do you avoid triggering the tendency? The loss aversion bias is the tendency to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring new gains. This bias is triggered by the pain of losing something valuable in the past. You can manage the tendency by calibrating all your losses in true absolute terms, rather than relative terms. Read on to learn more about the loss aversion bias.

How to Reframe Your Thoughts for More Positivity

How to Develop a Positive Sales Attitude

Do you often find yourself stuck in negative thinking patterns? What can you do to train your mind to think more positively? According to Joseph Murphy, the author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, negative, self-sabotaging thoughts can block the flow of Universal Consciousness into your life. When this flow is blocked, you are more likely to attract negative experiences into your life. In this article, we’ll explore specific methods you can use to reframe your thoughts for more positivity.

The Availability Bias: Prioritizing New Information

What is the availability bias? How do you curb the availability heuristic bias? The availability bias is the tendency to over-inflate the value of information that is recently available and ignore other important data that would have helped in making a better decision. You can curb this tendency by always using a methodical decision-making process. Read on to learn more about the availability bias.

The Folly in the Hero’s Quest for Physical Immortality

What is physical immortality? How does the quest for immortality end for the hero? Physical immortality is everlasting life, a state that allows a person to cheat death and maintain conscious thought. For a hero, the quest for immortality always ends in failure because it goes against the purpose of the hero’s existence, which is the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. This is why mythical heroes like King Midas faced misfortune when he chose worldly possessions over spiritual insight. Read on to discover more about the foolishness in any hero’s quest for physical immortality.

Your Creative Genius Is Outside of You

Do you believe everyone has a creative genius inside? Or do you think creativity is the prerogative of the lucky few? In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert advises that you view your creative genius as an entity that exists outside of you which occasionally graces you with visits. This perspective, she says, helps you to hang on to your creative freedom over the long term by reducing personal responsibility for brilliance. In this article, we’ll explore Gilbert’s concept of creative genius.

The Optimism Bias: Curb Your Expectations

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Optimism Bias

What is the optimism bias? How do you curb unrealistic optimism? The optimism bias is the tendency to believe that you are less likely to have a negative experience and be overconfident in your chances of experiencing positive events. It is this cognitive bias that fuels gambling. You can control the tendency by habitually using probability maths in your decision-making process. Read on to learn more about the optimism bias.

Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies: Communication Tips

What is the preferred communication method of each of the four tendencies? How do you determine which of the four tendencies a person belongs to? In her book The Four Tendencies, Rubin provides some tips on how to effectively communicate with each of the four tendencies (upholder, obliger, questioner, and rebel). She gives advice on things to say that will satisfy all four tendencies and shares questions you can ask someone to determine what tendency they belong to. Keep reading to learn about Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies framework and how to communicate with each tendency.

Understanding the Conscious and Subconscious Minds

What is the difference between the conscious and the subconscious mind? How much of the brain activity takes place in your subconscious? How do the conscious and the subconscious minds interact? Your mind is made up of two parts: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Over 90% of your brain’s activity takes place in your subconscious mind—it’s a reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories that lies beneath your conscious awareness. Your conscious mind contains all of the thoughts and feelings that you’re aware of at any given moment. In this article, we’ll explore each part individually and how they

Apotheosis—The Hero’s Journey Leads to Nirvana

What is apotheosis in the hero’s journey? How do cultures typically depict this stage of enlightenment? The apotheosis stage of the hero’s journey is when the hero conquers his fears and the bounds of consciousness to reach a divine state. Ancient cultures often depict this figure of ultimate enlightenment in both male and female forms. For example, ancient Chinese lore embodies both masculine Yang and feminine Yin. Read on to learn more about the Apotheosis stage of the hero’s journey.