“Non-violent campaigns tend to be able to elicit much larger and more diverse participation than armed campaigns.” - Erica Chenoweth.
Tough love. A Pew Research poll with data from 2021 shows that fewer of those living in the United States cite their romantic relationships as a source of meaning. The group asked adults in 17 countries around the world how they found fulfillment. Family was the #1 answer, followed by friends, material well-being and career. Romance was #11 on the list, after hobbies and “freedom.” In the U.S., only nine percent of respondents listed romance as a sphere of life where they found fulfillment, down from 20% just four years earlier. One silver lining, though: that percentage is still higher than in every other country surveyed.
A night to remember. Where were you last Tuesday at 4:13 PM? It sounds like a grilling from a detective in a Law & Order episode. It’s actually the type of question people answered in a new study on memory recall. Researchers recorded the smartphone data of participants every 10 minutes for an entire month. A week later, participants answered questions about their whereabouts at certain times during that month. The researchers gave them four locations and times, only one of which was the correct answer, and they had to pick which one accurately represented their movements. Their answers were incorrect more than a third of the time. Usually, there was some kind of connective tissue between the right and wrong answers. For example, wrong answers would be geographically nearby or close in time to the true experience. The authors point out that these sorts of memory lapses can have serious implications for people accused of crimes. They write for SPSP that understanding these trends could improve the way law enforcement officers question suspects.
It’s not easy to know how we come across to others, especially when we’re meeting people for the first time. Psychologist Erica Boothby says many of us underestimate how much other people actually like us. In this episode, we look at how certain social illusions give us a distorted picture of ourselves.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
March 21: Political scientist Erica Chenoweth explores the surprising truth about what actually produces radical change, and the profound implications for individuals and nations.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
March 22: Karl Goldstein wants to quit piano, but his teacher says something surprising that changes his mind.
March 24: On the way to an important meeting, Vige Barrie trips and gets injured. Two kind strangers help her clean up.
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.
MIND GAMES
You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy. What am I?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
The majority of people reading this will not find the the mistake in this: A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z.
The answer: “The” is repeated.
FROM THE TWITTERATI…
A MOMENT OF JOY
Have an idea for Hidden Brain? A story you want to share with us? Send an email to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. And if you’d like to support our work, you can do so here. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast platform.