The hottest Behavior Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Self-Handicapping

Brain Lenses • 58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Behavior Anxiety Self-reflection
  1. Self-handicapping is a protective reflex when facing challenges we fear we can't handle.
  2. It involves holding back to preserve self-esteem by attributing failure to lack of effort, not lack of capability.
  3. Repeat reliance on self-handicapping can lead to lowered self-esteem and a pattern of unhelpful self-definition.

On the hard days ahead, and the trap we are (eagerly, so eagerly) setting for ourselves

Unreported Truths • 61 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction Behavior Consequences Drugs Mental health
  1. Drug use, gambling, and certain kinds of sex are not moral neutrals and can easily lead to despair.
  2. America is facing challenges like declining life expectancy, preventable deaths, and social issues like lesser rates of marriage and having children.
  3. Stronger drugs, widespread gambling, and push for non-traditional relationships are causing harm and escalating societal issues.

Moving Beyond Doomism: Data-Driven Strategies for Effective Climate Content

This Week in MCJ (My Climate Journey) • 393 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Data Communication Behavior Circular Economy Psychology
  1. Data-driven decisions are crucial in climate content to engage mainstream audiences effectively.
  2. Promoting self-interest in climate content yields more results than focusing on planetary benefits.
  3. Starting with simple, relatable content and gradually guiding individuals towards impactful actions can drive engagement and awareness.
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Looking Into a Mirror

Polymathic Being • 68 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Psychology Behavior Reflection Morality Self-awareness
  1. People often project their own behaviors and beliefs onto others, leading to misunderstandings in conversations.
  2. Understanding that others may be reacting based on their own fears or insecurities can help you navigate and contextualize online arguments.
  3. By reflecting on your own tendencies and biases, you can improve empathy, communication, and ultimately influence others positively.

Why does it seem like there are two completely different versions of Christianity in the United States?

Think Future • 79 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Christianity Narratives Behavior Religion
  1. There are two different versions of Christianity in the U.S.: Knights and Gardeners, based on different worldviews and beliefs about the universe.
  2. Knights see the universe as a cosmic struggle between good and evil, while Gardeners view it as a cosmic garden where all living things should be nurtured.
  3. Identifying whether someone is a Knight or Gardener can help forecast their behavior in various aspects of life, including relationships, conflict resolution, and soul matters.

Narcissists vs. pushovers

Klement on Investing • 2 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Management Finance Research Behavior Analysis
  1. Narcissistic CFOs tend to manipulate equity analysts, especially those who are perceived as easily influenced.
  2. Narcissistic CFOs employ various persuasion tactics when meeting with analysts, focusing more on analysts deemed pushovers.
  3. Analysts are more likely to issue optimistic forecasts and better ratings for companies with narcissistic CFOs, potentially leading to less reliable information for investors.

Mastering doing nothing

10x your mind • 59 implied HN points • 06 Oct 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Behavior Stress Productivity Creativity
  1. Mastering 'doing nothing' is essential for achieving a balanced and productive mind. Taking time to be non-busy and still is crucial for creative thinking.
  2. Boredom and tech guilt are common issues faced by modern adults and children. Constantly turning to screens to avoid boredom can lead to a lack of satisfaction and meaningful accomplishments.
  3. Encouraging 'doing nothing' time, especially for children, can foster innovation and creativity. Allowing space for boredom and unstructured activities is vital in a world that values innovation over following instructions.

Prisoners of our genes or masters of our destiny?

Klement on Investing • 2 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🔬 Science Psychology Genetics Econometrics Environment Behavior
  1. Our risk and time preferences are influenced by a mix of genetics and environment, with the unique environment playing a significant role.
  2. Despite genetic influences, the most crucial factor driving our preferences and decisions is our unique life experiences and choices.
  3. We have the power to shape our destiny regardless of genetic predispositions or shared environments. What we make of our lives is ultimately up to us.

Awareness is Fun

mindmagic • 19 implied HN points • 01 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Awareness Behavior Language
  1. Increasing and sustaining awareness can be done through innovative methods.
  2. Engaging in arbitrary day-long rules can lead to unexpected situations and personal growth.
  3. Exploring different cultural practices, like Russian smileys, can offer new perspectives and challenges.

Reassessing the Confirmation Bias

Optimally Irrational • 11 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23
🚌 Education Psychology Behavior Bias Decision-making
  1. Confirmation bias is a widely acknowledged cognitive bias where we tend to seek information that supports our existing beliefs.
  2. In today's world of political polarization, confirmation bias contributes to escalating tensions as people isolate themselves in echo chambers.
  3. Seeking confirmatory information aligns with an optimal information acquisition strategy, especially when considering costs and efficiency.

Oranges and lemons

The Strategy Toolkit • 8 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🔬 Science Biology Evolution Emotion Behavior Research
  1. Laughter may serve a strategic purpose, including masking other emotions like anger.
  2. Evolutionary biologists study laughter to understand human behavior in incongruous situations and for social communication.
  3. The process of natural selection is likened to a startup's product development, evolving over time like an MVP.

The orders of infinity

Infinitely More • 12 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🔬 Science Mathematics Functions Behavior
  1. Real-valued functions can exhibit various behaviors as they approach infinity.
  2. Different functions can have the same behavior at infinity, based on their rates of growth.
  3. Defining an equivalence relation helps capture the idea of functions having the same behavior at infinity.

The game theoretical foundations of morality

Optimally Irrational • 4 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🔬 Science Game Theory Morality Behavior Evolution Cooperation
  1. Game theory shows that cooperation can be rational even in self-interested settings like the Prisoner's Dilemma.
  2. The Folk Theorem explains how sustained cooperation can emerge in repeated interactions through strategies like tit-for-tat.
  3. Simple and intuitive reciprocity-based strategies like tit-for-tat can be successful in promoting cooperation and may underlie our moral intuitions.

Rethinking Authenticity

From the Desk • 2 HN points • 04 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Authenticity Psychology Self-help Behavior Identity
  1. Authenticity has evolved over time from simply factual to a character trait that is now widely misunderstood and overused.
  2. Authenticity can be a paradox, as it relies on others to judge our authenticity, leading to a performance or craft in trying to be authentic.
  3. Being authentic is challenging because it requires navigating personal changes while others evaluate our authenticity, but it's essential to stay true to oneself amidst external influences.

Two Brains, One Team: System 1 and System 2

FutureIQ • 1 implied HN point • 20 Mar 23
🔬 Science Neuroscience Psychology Behavior Cognition Learning
  1. We have two brains: a lizard brain that controls instincts and emotions, and a rational human brain for logical thinking.
  2. System 1 (fast, automatic, emotional) and System 2 (slow, logical) take turns solving tasks based on complexity and time constraints.
  3. System 1 and System 2 work best when they collaborate like a driver and a navigator, each having their roles.

Policy should be adaptive

Perambulations • 0 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Behavior Public Policy Laws
  1. Policy should be designed to be adaptive and respond to changes in behavior to encourage better outcomes.
  2. Creating new equilibria through adaptive policies can lead to more sustainable changes in collective behavior rather than just individual actions.
  3. Adaptive policies, like those seen in traffic management or public health initiatives, can help promote common goals and shared norms to achieve lasting change in society.

Negative Nudges

effectiviology • 0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education Behavior Manipulation Awareness
  1. A negative nudge is a manipulation that prompts people to make a decision that's bad for them.
  2. Negative nudges can involve making it easier to choose a bad option or harder to choose a good option.
  3. Be mindful of negative nudges in your environment and use debiasing techniques to overcome their influence.

Updates #2

Pav writes • 0 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Ideas Beliefs Psychology Behavior
  1. Game theory in poker underwent a scientific revolution with the advent of data analytics software
  2. Different legal systems utilize unique methods to enforce compliance and maintain order
  3. Creating a self-wiki can be an effective and enjoyable method for memorizing information

Neuro-Nonsense

NonTrivial • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jul 23
🔬 Science Neuroscience Complexity Brain function Networks Behavior
  1. Neuroscience aims to understand the nervous system, coordinating physical and behavioral attributes.
  2. Understanding what makes individuals unique is complex; differences are not always easy to pinpoint.
  3. Behavior cannot be localized in the brain; complex systems function across networks, not specific regions.