The World's Best Book Summaries
How do we rationalize dishonesty? Why does cash make us more honest? Experiments on the psychology of lying show that dishonesty is more common if we reflect on moral standards before lying or if we have at least one degree of separation from money. We can use this knowledge to stop rationalizing dishonesty and to become more honest. Keep reading for more on the psychology of lying.
What is the “big five” personality theory? Are there personality traits we can change, or are they all set in stone? The “big five” personality traits are neuroticism, extroversion, openness to new experiences, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and these traits are completely out of our conscious control. However, we still control our self-narratives by changing things like our goals, beliefs, and values. Keep reading to learn more about the “big five” personality theory.
What do psychologists mean when they talk about the consciousness continuum? How many states of consciousness can a being experience? Do you think non-organic material can possess consciousness? The continuum of consciousness refers to the spectrum of mental, emotional, and perceptive states a being can experience. Although we have studied a variety of human and animal states of consciousness, we will likely never know all possible states since consciousness likely extends well beyond the experiences of organic beings. Keep reading to learn about the consciousness continuum.
What is the function of your spiritual heart? How does your heart chakra regulate your life experience? Your spiritual heart is an exquisite regulator of your experience. It governs your life because it opens and closes in sync with human relationships. Keep reading to learn about your spiritual heart chakra, what happens when it gets blocked, and how to release those blockages.
What does self-herding mean? How can a good first impression lead you to make irrational choices? Is it possible to un-form your self-herding habits? Self-herding is when you decide if something is good or bad depending on your past experiences, then you continue to copy that behavior until it becomes a habit. This can lead you to justify your irrational decisions. However, it is possible to recognize and change your self-herding habits. Continue on to learn more about self-herding and how to avoid it.
What is the difference between a multiplier leader and a diminisher leader? What are the traits of multipliers and diminishers? According to the authors of Multipliers, there are two types of leaders: Multipliers and Diminishers. Multipliers bring the most out of their team’s abilities and they inspire and push them to do their best. Diminishers only access a small portion of their team’s abilities and prefer to rely on their own intelligence. Keep reading to learn more about Multipliers and Diminishers
What is liberal humanism? What are the central values of the liberal humanist ideology? Liberal humanism is a philosophy that values individual freedoms above all else. For a liberal humanist, every human perspective matters. Because of this, they run into problems when valid, but differing perspectives clash. Keep reading to learn about liberal humanism.
What are the two types of special habits from Tiny Habits? How can you turn a negative trigger into a positive one to become happier? The two special types of habits from Tiny Habits are “Meanwhile Habits,” and “Pearl Habits.” A Meanwhile Habit is a habit you do while you’re waiting for something to happen and a Pearl Habit is something that starts as a small irritation and grows into something beautiful. Keep reading to learn more about these two types of habits.
How does the metaphor of the elephant and the rider signify a divided mind? In what four ways is the mind divided? What are primal emotions? In the book The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt, he uses the metaphor of a person riding an elephant to explain the human mind. However, the rider/elephant metaphor only describes the back-and-forth struggle going on within the self. There are other dimensions to this division. Keep reading to learn more about the elephant and the rider and the four divisions of the mind.
What is the decoy effect? How are we manipulated into making decisions without even knowing it? How can you use the decoy effect to your advantage? The decoy effect is when you’re presented with options, including an obviously unfavorable option, to trigger a comparison that will guide you towards a certain choice. Marketing agencies, subscription services, and even real estate agents use this technique. Continue on to learn more about the decoy effect.