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Description edit
A best-selling author and psychologist gives us a myth-busting response to the self-help movement, with tips and tricks that come straight from the scientific community. Richard Wiseman has been troubled by the realization that the self-help industry often promotes exercises that destroy... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Mozart: Add a description of this character.
- Sara
- Aron
- Scott cheatham: Self Help
- Mueller
- Dweck
- Forster
- Manning
- Mischel
- Emma
- Gueguen
- Sophie
Quotes edit
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“Now if you take part in a study and the researchers explain that they need your telephone number in case of a hard-disk failure, they are up to something.”
Richard Wiseman
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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In short, when it comes to an instant fix for everyday happiness, certain types of writing have a surprisingly quick and large impact. Expressing gratitude, thinking about a perfect future, and affectionate writing have been scientifically proven to work—and all they require is a pen, a piece of paper, and a few moments of your time.
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It seems that presenting weaknesses early is seen as a sign of openness.
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When you gossip about another person, listeners unconsciously associate you with the characteristics you are describing, ultimately leading to those characteristics’ being “transferred” to you. So, say positive and pleasant things about friends and colleagues, and you are seen as a nice person. In contrast, constantly complain about their failings, and people will unconsciously apply the negative traits and incompetence to you.
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“He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.” In other words, to increase the likelihood that someone will like you, get that person to do you a favor.
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From a psychological perspective, thinking and writing are very different. Thinking can often be somewhat unstructured, disorganized, and even chaotic. In contrast, writing encourages the creation of a story line and structure that help people make sense of what has happened and work toward a solution. In short, talking can add to a sense of confusion, but writing provides a more systematic, solution-based approach.
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The message is clear—those who do not feel in control of their lives are less successful, and less psychologically and physically healthy, than those who do feel in control.
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The message is that people are more likely to agree with you when they have already said something positive.
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It seems that modesty, rather than honesty, is critical for positive aspects of your past. By delaying mention of such details, you appear to prefer letting your strengths emerge naturally, while playing your cards early is seen as boastful.
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Successful participants broke their overall goal into a series of sub-goals and thereby created a step-by-step process that helped remove the fear and hesitation often associated with trying to achieve a major life change. These plans were especially powerful when the sub-goals were concrete, measurable, and time-based.
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The results from both studies clearly indicated that in terms of short- and long-term happiness, buying experiences made people feel better than buying products.
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Setting & Locations edit
First Sentence edit
Do you want to improve an important aspect of your life?
Table of Contents edit
CONTENTS
introduction: Self-help exposed, Sophie’s question, and the potential for rapid change
happiness: Why positive thinking often fails and how the real route to happiness involves a pencil, keeping the perfect diary, small acts of kindness, and developing the gratitude attitude
persuasion: Why rewards fail, how to give the flawless interview, improve your social life by making mistakes, never lose your wallet again, and convince anyone of anything by using your pet frog
motivation: The dark side of visualization, how to achieve absolutely anything by creating the ideal plan, overcoming procrastination, and employing “doublethink”
creativity: Exploding the myth of brainstorming, how to get in touch with your inner Leonardo merely by glancing at modern art, lying down, and putting a plant on your desk
attraction: Why you shouldn't play hard to get, how the subtle art of seduction involves the simplest of touches, roller-coaster rides, and avoiding artificial Christmas trees
relationships: The perils of “active listening,” why Velcro can help couples stick together, words speak louder than actions, and a single photograph can make all the difference
stress: Why not to kick and scream, how to reduce resentment in seconds, harness the power of a four-legged friend, and think your way to low blood pressure
decision making: Why two heads are no better than one, how never to regret a decision again, protect yourself against hidden persuaders, and tell when someone is lying to you
parenting: The Mozart myth, how to choose the best name for a baby, instantly divine a child’s destiny using just three marsh-mallows, and effectively praise young minds
personality: Why not to trust graphology, how to gain an apparently magical insight into other people’s personality from their fingers and thumbs, their pets, and the time they go to bed
conclusion: Sophie’s answer: Ten techniques in 59 seconds
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
Series & Lists edit
This book is in Combine (temp). (standard series)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Richard Wiseman (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: Add the publication date.
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: Add the publication date.
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 336
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 150
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