#805 - Gurwinder Bhogal - 14 Uncomfortable Truths About Human Psychology
Jul 4, 2024
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Gurwinder Bhogal, a programmer and insightful writer known for his deep dives into human psychology, joins the conversation. He reveals why we often assume others think like us and how narcissists weave themselves into narratives. The discussion explores the chaos of decision fatigue and tackles the evolution of journalism in a digital world filled with misinformation. Gurwinder also emphasizes the balance between individuality and emotion, advocating for self-reflection and the positive lessons hidden within failure.
Perceptions of others are based on personal experiences, leading to misunderstandings.
Utilizing decision-making heuristics can streamline choices and reduce decision fatigue.
Enthememe in propaganda subtly influences beliefs by incorporating lies indirectly.
Post-journalism shifts news media towards storytelling, reinforcing reader beliefs over objective reporting.
Deep dives
Understanding the False Consensus Effect
We tend to judge others based on our experiences, assuming they are similar to us. This can lead to misunderstandings when assessing others' behaviors and reactions. By questioning whether our perceptions are accurate and considering the impact of our experiences, we can gain a more grounded understanding of different perspectives.
Navigating Decisions: Frank's Paradox
Living in a world of abundant choices, we often spend excessive time deliberating trivial decisions. The more similar choices appear, the harder it becomes to decide, leading to decision fatigue. Utilizing decision-making heuristics like choosing short-term discomfort or defaulting to 'no' when indecisive can streamline decision-making processes and mitigate decision fatigue.
Understanding Enthememe in Propaganda
Enthememe in propaganda involves subtly incorporating lies by assuming them as premises without direct assertion. This indirect method influences beliefs effectively by appearing as peripheral points rather than direct claims. Politicians and media use this technique to sway opinions without overtly stating falsehoods, making messages more persuasive and less resistant to scrutiny.
The Impact of Post-Journalism on News Consumption
Post-journalism shifts news media from objective reporting to tribalistic confirmation of reader beliefs. With the rise of internet democratizing information, media outlets pivot to storytelling and reinforcing existing narratives. Readers are drawn to emotionally engaging narratives, promoting confirmation bias over unbiased reporting, challenging traditional news consumption.
Linking Mythology to Human Behavior
Mythology offers moral lessons through character archetypes, exploring consequences of actions and behaviors. Fictional characters influence individuals' behavior as they unconsciously adopt traits and personas of favorite characters. Balancing virtues and moderating traits rather than maximizing them mirrors Aristotle's golden mean, emphasizing the importance of avoiding extremes for personal growth and development.
Periodizing Goals for Better Focus
Setting time-limited, focused periods for specific goals, such as diet and nutrition, can aid in achieving balance without constant willpower exertion. Periodization allows for deep focus, followed by resets or shifts, creating a sustainable approach to long-term achievement.
Establishing Cut-Off Points to Avoid Obsession
Creating boundaries and cut-off points, whether in research, social media use, or any activity, helps in preventing obsession. Limiting engagement to specific goals or tasks can prevent falling into extremes and promote moderation and discipline.
Stoicism and Emotional Control
Adopting a stoic approach to emotions, focusing on what can be controlled, aids in managing compassion, anger, and other emotions effectively. By recognizing boundaries and using delay in responses, individuals can maintain emotional balance and rationality in various situations.
Gurwinder is one of my favourite Twitter follows. He’s written yet another megathread exploring human nature, cognitive biases, mental models, status games, crowd behaviour and social media. It’s fantastic, and today we go through some of my favourites.
Expect to learn why our mental model of the world assumes people are just like us, why Narcissists tend to inject themselves into every story no matter how unrelated or tenuous, the role of Postjournalism in a world of fake news, why we navigate the world through stories and not statistics or facts, why people specialise in things they are actually bad at and much more...
