7 Assumptions Your Brain Can ’t Help But Make

You're reading 7 Assumptions Your Brain Can’t Help But Make, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles. We all want to believe we are tough to fool. The problem is, even if you are not so gullible, your brain still works a certain way, making associations that create vulnerability to being easily fooled, or fooling yourself. It takes work to release yourself from these natural assumptions that are presumed to originate from a mix of hard wiring and cultural conditioning. Getting beyond them is surely a worthwhile thing to do, however. Here are seven common assumptions that a lot of brains simply can’t resist. 1. Any reason will do Did you know that people who use the word because when making a request dramatically increase their chances of getting the favor? Social psychologist Ellen Langer performed an experiment in which she asked to cut in line to use a copy machine. She tested three different ways of asking, and recorded the results: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine? 60% said OK. Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush? 94% said OK. Using because I’m in a rush yielded a huge approval boost. Even more impressive was the next trial: Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies? 93% said OK. Using the wor...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: featured psychology self education assumptions nlp pickthebrain self improvement Source Type: blogs