"As soon as we perceive somebody's trying to persuade us...we are pushing back. We do not like our freedom to be taken away from us in that way." —Ben Rosenberg
BRAIN WAVES
I think, therefore I am tired. Working out at the gym is good for you, but it’s also exhausting. The same might be true for a cognitive workout. A recent study looked at a common assumption in psychology: people avoid mental effort whenever possible. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 170 studies that used something called the “NASA Task Load Index,” an index that measures people’s mental workload while performing various tasks. Across these studies, the analysis found a strong relationship between mental effort and negative feelings. In other words, mental effort is generally experienced as unpleasant. This was even true for people who said they enjoyed thinking, and games that involved thinking—chess, for example. "We really looked hard for possible exceptions,” said senior author Erik Bijleveld, But the authors found no compelling evidence for them. Bejleveld added that "exposure to mental effort early in life may train people to become more able to withstand higher levels of mental effort later on.”
Stand out. A new study found that people’s desire to stand out has significantly dropped over the past twenty years. Researchers tracked over a million people from 2000 to 2020, focusing on how much they care about others' opinions, their willingness to break rules, and their readiness to defend their beliefs. Overall, they found that people are less willing to defend their beliefs (a 6.52% drop) and that they care more about what others think (a 4.28% increase). Researchers think people might be afraid to stand out these days due to the risk of being ostracized. “It’s really important to have people willing to go against the grain,” said William Chopik, lead author of the study. “Withholding who we authentically are by trying so hard to blend in can ironically backfire and lead to guilt, anxiety, and, sometimes, even more animosity between people.”
How to be humble. When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait — humility — is important in the long term. Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
You’re not the boss of me! This week, we talk to psychologist Benjamin Rosenberg about psychological reactance -- how we respond to infringements on our autonomy, and how we can avoid sparking this resistance in our interactions with other people.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Denise Elliott’s Story: Nearly 60 years ago, a young boy took action when Denise and a friend were struggling in the ocean.
Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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MIND GAMES
What has a neck but no head?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
Ask this question all day long, but always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question?
Answer: What time is it?
A MOMENT OF JOY
Missed the Perseid meteor shower? Check out these stunning photos.
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