Month: November 2019

The famous Müller-Lyer illusion shows two or three lines – all physically the same length but they do not appear that way because of the fins at the ends. The eye extends the length of the lines with fins even though the line itself is all exactly the same. You can see the illusion here.

A fascinating extension of this experiment appeared in the book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Prize economist Daniel Kahneman. He points out that even if you KNOW that the lines are the same length, your automatic mental response will always be to see one line longer. He makes the argument that in a conflict between automatic reactions and controlled responses, you must first consciously recognize the auto-response and then intentionally choose to override it – every single time. The automatic response will automatically kick in.

The best that you can do is to repeatedly recognize a pattern or a situation that generates an automatic response from you and cultivate the habit of immediately questioning it. You can’t shut off the responders in your brain, but you can learn to more quickly activate another portion of your brain to exercise control and decision-making.

Think about aspects of the environment that generate automatic responses for you. What patterns do you need to flag so that the control aspect of your brain goes on high alert when they are present? What triggers a reaction that you would like to override? You can’t stop that initial stare, but you can control your next reaction to it – if you consciously activate the self-control aspect of our brain.

Source: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, 2011

 

There is so much hype about next year’s presidential election that many people forget that today is Election Day in most municipalities. Voting for mayor, city council or school board representatives may not garner the same attention as national offices, but in many cases, these local positions exert more direct influence over peoples’ lives than the federal positions do.

Don’t ignore your opportunity to cast a vote – today or any day. It’s a freedom as well as a responsibility.

In last week’s Grey’s Anatomy, a mom was in jail because the police discovered she left her 8-year old sleeping at home alone. I’m sure the child was just fine…

…until something like a fire happened and he wasn’t.

Scenarios occur like this all of the time. You’re fine driving in winter without a coat – until your car breaks down and you must face the elements. You experience no visible consequences from eating that extra donut – until your cholesterol clogs an artery. You put off backing up your computer because it is working well – until it crashes. You don’t get in an accident texting while driving – until someone stops suddenly in front of you.

We base our behaviors on what happens in circumstances that are “fine” and too often fail to take precautions for when they aren’t. Before you coast along with optimistic bliss, pause to consider what if it wasn’t going according to plan – would you take the same actions now?

When I was growing up no one talked about sleep but now the subject seems to be everywhere. People are heralding the many benefits of good slumber to increase health, civility, focus, decision-making and happiness. Arianna Huffington’s new book even goes as far as calling it “The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time.”

Popular apps such as the iPhone’s Bedtime feature help you set alarms to keep your sleep routine consistent – yet for most of the country, we intentionally disrupt it twice each year. No matter if you gain a mythical hour or lose it, altering your sleep patterns isn’t good.

As society gains knowledge, we need to act on it. When Daylight Saving Time began in 1966 the world was a different place. We worried more about farmers working in the dark fields than we did about sleep patterns. Now modern agricultural equipment has lights and auto-pilot and our attention should shift to keeping adults, children and pets in their normal evening rhythms.

Change the clocks today – but work with your legislators to change the need to change them in the future.