Book Report - The Influential Mind

Moira Solano 

8/5/19 

Motivation 

Book Report 

The Influential Mind by author and neuroscientist, Tali Sharot discusses the relationship between the topic of influence and the brain. Sharot talks about how the human brain operates when people are being influenced and how they respond to it. The three main things she focuses on are how critical emotion in influence is, how weak data is, and how powerful curiosity is. Sharot discusses both good and bad influence. She discusses human behavior and explains the scientific reasons behind the way we act and think when being influenced.  

The prologue of the book discusses our role. A role we aren’t aware of and think about all the time. On the first page, it says, “This duty we all share is to affect others. We teach our children, guide our patients, advise our clients, help our friends, and inform our online followers. We do this because we each have unique experiences, knowledge, and skills that others may not. But how good are we at this role?” Sharot mentions how every thought we have ever had are powered by neurons in our brain. Understanding how our brains function will help us understand how we react to situations and the topic of persuasion. 

I would have to say my favorite part of the book is in chapter 2, “(Emotion) How We Are Persuaded to Reach for the Moon, The Incredible Sway of Emotion”. The section that stuck out to me within this chapter would have to be called, “Sharing the Love.” Sharot mentioned how she loves watching the Olympics because she believes it’s not really about who the greatest athletes are, but the emotions that are displayed during the games. I thought this quote on pages 44 and 45 was beautiful and it says, “My deep attraction to the games stems largely from the raw display of emotion: the pure happiness in the eyes of the woman who just crossed the finish line first, the tears of joy running down the face of the swimmer standing on the podium. Their happiness is contagious. You cannot help but smile when those faces on the screen do. Even the most aloof among us will find their eyes welling in response to winners’ and losers’ tears.” When we see others happy or sad or mad, we feel their emotions and we start to experience what they are feeling, regardless if we know them personally or not. People who you surround yourself with and you are around frequently, like family and friends, will instantly know how you are feeling based on how your face looks, how you sound, how your body looks, and how you speak. Sharing your feelings is easier than sharing ideas because it allows you to open up to people and show that you are vulnerable in that moment. 

 

The chapter I felt was the most related to the topics that we discussed in class would be chapter 4, “(Agency) How You Obtain Power by Letting Go, The Joy of Agency and the Fear of Losing Control”. The section within this chapter called, “Removing Control” made me think about how losing control and maintaining self-control go hand in hand. Losing control and not being able to have it is hard for people to accept. There is no way to do anything, but endure in it, and you feel trapped. Trying to have self-control over something and not giving into it is also hard to accept. In this situation, you have this choice to either ignore the impulsive choice or give in to it, and your choice will determine the outcome. I feel as though this quote on page 83 explains the feelings people have when they have a lack or no control over something, and it says, “Most people become stressed and anxious when their ability to control their environment is removed. This is why many people prefer sitting in the driver’s seat rather than the passenger’s seat, and also why we feel anxious when we are stuck in traffic, unable to move.” I feel like this example is relatable because being stuck in traffic can trigger anxiety and stress, especially because you can’t do anything about the situation and have to sit it out quite literally until it clears up over time. 

I really enjoyed learning about these topics in this book. Tali Sharot did an amazing job explaining not only how the brain functions but talking about real-life stories and experiences that she went through in order to tie in the concept of the book. I’m going to take these topics to heart because it made me think about how I am personally influenced and how my thoughts are being processed based on the information I was given. It’s also fascinating how we don’t fall into certain types of persuasions than others. It’s like we don’t give in due to past experiences or we just have the wits to know that this is a trap. I highly recommend reading this book because it really makes you think about your own thoughts and influences and how you influence people. I think this book will help people become more aware of not only themselves, but also the people around them and the media because I feel as though the media is a huge influence on how we act and think. 

Book Report- Flow

                                                                    Flow








Overview- Flow the psychology of optimal experience written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi basically sums up on how to be happy with not only your self but about life in general. As most people say money does not buy happiness and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi goes into extreme detail explaining that in many ways and through studies with a lot of well rounded individuals. People tend to dwell on the past or something that is out of there hands that they can not control. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi focusses on how to now dwell and to focus on your self and especially your inner self through out life. He goes is depth explaining how no one is ever satisfied with how they look or how much they have or make because most people are never satisfied and happy with them selves or what they have in life.Life is a great thing and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains how much we should enjoy our life on earth everyday and focus on the positives and less on negatives especially on things we can not control.

Favorite Part- My favorite part was Chapter 3: Enjoyment And The Quality Of Life. This chapter shows the eight major components of enjoyment in recent studies that were done. Most people reflect and show when they have experienced something positive they tend to mention one of these 8 elements as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states. First, the experience usually occurs when we confront tasks we have a chance of completing. Next we as individuals must be able to concentrate on what we are doing. third and forth, the focus is usually possible because the task taken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback. Fifth, one acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removes from awareness and the worries and frustrations of everyday life. The sixth is the enjoyable experiences that allow people to exercise a sense of control over their own actions. Seven is the concern for self disappears, where paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over. Lastly, the sense of the duration of time is altered, hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch to hours. This chapter was completely fascinating because everyday we all experience this as individuals because when we are doing something we like time will fly by compared to doing something we do not like where it feels like hours and days have gone by. Doing something you love or do not mind makes everyday a lot easier especially your flow getting started.

Related- Flow Written by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi relates to this class by the chapter incentives. On one of the slides Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi speaks at a ted talk about the meaning behind flow and how people live with unsettling goals constantly. No matter what people have or look like no one will ever be satisfied on what they have but care about what they don't have or don't look like.

Extension- This book as opened my eyes not only on life but it made me look at my self to see why I was doing things the book said not to stress over. I go through life everyday trying to be the best in school and make sure I make as much money as I can. As everyone always says money can not buy happiness but I truly believed it did until I read this book. We all focus on things that we want to do but don't focus on our inner self and enjoy everyday as our last. Flow has made me realize to sit back and enjoy life as it takes me and do not look back at anything.

 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discussing Flow at a TED Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_u-Eh3h7Mo

Impulsive choices and self-control

 I found that the impulsive choices and self-control section interesting. Without any self-control people will not be able to reach some of the goals they set for themselves. For example, if someone wants to start dieting and lose weight but falls into temptation and eating fast food or candy  because of impulsive choices they will not be able to attain their goal. With impulsive choices people have to think about the consequences that come with it. If someone who is dieting wants to eat a cookie but does not think about how the snack snack is unhealthy and is bringing them farther away from from their goal they will chose the impulsive option. The article I attached talks a little more about self-control and how it can be strengthened.

 https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/01/self-control 

Book Report : The Power of Habit

Book Report: The Power of Habit

By: Georgia Wonski

General Overview: 

The Power of Habit - Why we do what we do in life and business, is a New York Times best selling book by Charles Duhigg. The author believes that people can transform their businesses, communities, and lives for the better. He wants to help his readers understand human nature and potential for transformation. The book focuses on good and bad habits in life. For example, you cannot erase or delete your old patterns due to bad habits. These habits are easy to fall back into because it is something we are familiar with and find comfort in as humans. The author pinpoints the difference between failure and success. He elaborates on the steps it can take to change a bad habit into a good habit. There are also many arguments in the book about losing weight, exercising regularly, building companies, becoming more productive, social movements, and raising children. These are all subjects that people may struggle with and Charles Duhigg’s goal is to help everyone succeed in these areas. 

Favorite Part:

One of my favorite parts in the book is the habit of loop. This is known as a concept of how habits form. Every habit is made up of three essential parts. The cue is the first part and this is known as the trigger. The second part is the routine and is shown as a pattern. Finally, the third part is the reward and this is what the person desired. This is one of my favorite parts in the book because I truly believe in the habit of loop. Freshman year of college I gained a good amount of weight and this was triggering for me. I made myself a gym routine and made sure to make healthier choices when it came to food. I believe in the habit of loop because I was triggered, then made a routine for myself, and now I have lost a few pounds. I am still working on my reward of losing more weight and gaining more confidence. The chapter self- control discusses willpower and this is something that you will need in this cycle. It is known as a control and being able to restrain from impulse. In the habit of loop it is important to be strong to achieve your reward in the end. 

Related: 

The chapter food is a common topic in The Power of Habit. The author discusses healthy eating and losing weight because this is something that many people struggle with. In the chapter, a major topic is food preference and many people prefer fat in foods. Also, food that is found with higher energy content with more calories is chosen over lower energy content. Charles Duhigg covers this topic because many of his readers are looking for motivation to help them lose weight and change their bad habits. 

Creative: 

I have created a video to explain the habit of loop concerning weight loss using different images! https://youtu.be/Ha_rC09RPy4

Here is video explaining the habit of loop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFd56y116IM

Extension: 

In The Power of Habit the author covers many topics and steps to help people succeed in life. One topic Charles Duhigg focuses on is breaking bad habits. A current problem in today's world is addiction. This includes drugs, alcohol, nicotine and more. Electronic cigarettes are taking over the world and causing major health risks due to harmful chemicals. Many teens are extremely addicted and have no self-control. This book can solve this real world problem if people are willing to take the steps the author includes by breaking a bad habit. The habit of loop can be used when someone first admits they have a problem. After, they substitute their addiction with a routine of drinking water every time they crave nicotine. Finally, their reward would be breaking their addiction and no longer have to depend on the electronic cigarette. I think a great way to educate others about breaking bad habits like an addiction is to assign this book in classrooms or work areas to motivate others. 

Personal Extension: 

After reading this book I have thought long and hard about this upcoming school year. One of my main issues that I am working on is time management. I am someone that likes to procrastinate instead of getting things done right away. This has affected me in school and in my sorority due to holding a major position. Charles Duhigg is very motivating and wants to help people outgrow their bad habits. I am someone that wants to change my current issue for this upcoming school year because I know I can do better in school if I prepare myself for future assignments. My position in the sorority is a lot of responsibility and many people are counting on me to create events by certain deadlines. My bad habits that I am focusing on now can help me succeed in the future even after college when having a job that requires a certain schedule or deadlines. I am going to take all of the steps and advice from Charles Duhigg to become more productive in life.  

Drugs- Caffeine

The thing that I found the most surprising in the lecture slides on drugs was the component on caffeine, specifically coffee since that is the most common. This opened my eyes to just how much coffee is a drug that is scarily similar to other drugs. The fact that caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive stimulant in the world is crazy! This made me want to do my own research and I found out that in just America, 64% of people are coffee drinkers! Coffee makes people feel energetic, alive, and clear headed. Addiction is described as an intense craving, seeking out, and use of a particular drug. And craving is described as a feeling of an overpowering, uncontrollable urge for the drug. They crave both the pleasures it gives and the relief of their withdraw symptoms they are experiencing without the drug. I have a lot of close family and friends that are this way with coffee. They can not be talked to or function in their daily routine until they have had their sufficient amount of coffee. My mom will even get headaches that are so bad until she drinks hers. There is a Buzzfeed video called, "Coffee Addicts Quiz Cold Turkey" (link included) and it shows just how reliant people can get on coffee and what the affects of cutting it out are. I personally am not a big coffee drinker but when I do drink coffee I definitely notice I feel more anxious and the video notes this is accurate. The video also points out that coffee can literally alter your brain and when your brain gets accustomed to it, cutting it out does in fact cause you to be extremely tired along with other side effects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAMIQn78iAA

Book Report: The Influential Mind

                                          The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot

After earning a Ph.D. degree in psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Tali Sharot went on to study the neural basis of decision making, optimism, and emotions. Tali Sharot shared her studies and findings in her novel, The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others. As a neuroscientist, Sharot explains the effects of influence and opinions and how it can alter not only oneself but others as well. As previous studies and the evolution of instincts have transpired through the years, Dr. Sharot claims that there are far more effective elements that can change beliefs and actions within the human brain. Through emotions, incentives, curiosity, and control, all empower the opportunity to alter another’s thoughts and feelings. Tali gives scientific evidence on the difficulties of changing attitudes and emotions, but gives supporting strategies to prove it is possible.

I personally found all nine chapters to be quite eye opening and interesting in their own way. My favorite however was chapter two, “How We Were Persuaded to Reach for the Moon (Emotion): The Incredible Sway of Emotion.” Emotions are a large part of what makes an individual unique. Some people claim to be too emotional while some simply cannot express even an ounce of emotion. Emotions are a part of every second of everyone’s’ life. From happy to sad, excited to bored, awake to tired, there are hundreds of emotions that our brain has the ability to put into expression. Within this chapter, Tali Sharot expresses the power of emotion. Sharot used the example of watching the Olympic games solely for her enjoyment through the spread of emotions. There was a few sentences she included that I adored fully. “Their happiness is contagious. You cannot help but smile when those faces on the screen do.” (page 45) I personally have grown up in a very positive, loving family where my parents have always instilled in my siblings and I to smile at strangers. My parents would tell us that you truly never know who your smile can touch and within a second, we have the power to change someone’s day. Happiness is absolutely contagious. The ability an emotion has to alter someone else is incredible. Brains are wired to quickly transmit emotions back and forth to one another to convey information. “Emotions- which are, in essence, bodily reactions to external events or internal thoughts- travel from one person to the other, delivering with them important messages.” (page 47) Within the lecture slides of Reproduction, this influence of emotions can be directly related. Mate value is a cluster of characteristics that make a person desirable as a partner. If a happy, uplifting person meets a potential mate who is miserable with an attitude, the chances of their own mate value declining is high. The uplifting partner will eventually get tired of the negative emotions the other puts off into the world and their time together will most likely be short. Throughout the whole book, Tali brought up great ideas and ways to embrace one’s life. From using young children to adults in a nursing home, these claims are able to meet any age group and provide valuable information to all. Whether it be within happiness or extending ones’ independence, emotions span through any occurrence. Although cliché, I have always stated that I want the ability to change at least one person’s life during my years. After reading this book from a highly known neuroscientist, I feel more inclined to make a difference with many more aspects to go from that I was not aware of before. 

                                        

This link shows how a group of students are personally affected by the power of a smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjicRGvNo38&app=desktop

Food and Innate Preferences

I found the entire chapter to be interesting but I was specifically interested in learning about innate preferences. Innate preferences can be seen in babies in how they prefer sweets and how they shun sour or bitter foods. Their facial expressions have evolutionary value because they depict what they like and dislike. I have seen this exact things happen with my little sister! When she was a baby we would let her try all kinds of foods and she would show this innate preference for sweets. Just like most babies, she had the funniest bad facial expression to trying a lemon. I also thought it was interesting how innate preferences can develop based on what a mother ate while pregnant or nursing. Such as the example in the lecture slides of mothers drinking carrot juice and their babies later having a preference for carrot flavored cereal. When it comes to a lot of foods though, innate preferences are later paired with learned preferences. This is the case when it comes to sour food, a lot of the time humans develop a learned preferences for sour foods later in life. This may be due in part to the mere exposure effect which says repeated tastings increase likings for that food. The following video does a very good job at explaining why we evolve to have a taste for sour flavors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2o1WBpPYyI

The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot - Book Report

General Overview

The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot is a great book that shows the reader that as people, everyone shares a role in influencing events around us, both consciously and unconsciously.  Sharot, a neuroscientist, explains how data is actually noneffective in changing someone’s mind but instead, the things that make us human: our motives, fears, hopes, and desires, are. Sharot takes the reader through multiple real-life experiences some may be facing to explain complex ideas. Within these short stories, Sharot makes it relatable while explaining the correct way to influence someone's opinion within that scenario. As an author, Tali Sharot shows how motivation taints our ability to analyze and reason and she then proceeds to show the reader how to proceed in a way to get the outcome you want to receive. 

Favorite Part & Related Part

One of my favorite parts of the Influential Mind would be where Tali Sharot explains the value of information as well as the burden of knowledge. Sharot starts off a short story within this section that involves Kate who was applying to Harvard’s business school to receive her MBA. Kate restlessly anticipated the decision later until she got an email from a friend that implied Harvard had already made their decisions for admission and if you clicked a link and signed in, you could see your admission results early. Kate followed through with the said process and was led to believe she was accepted. The same day that Kate “found out” these result, Harvard found out about their system failure, fixed the problem, and gave out rejection letters to those who “checked” their results on the grounding that the act was a breach of ethics. 

This specific short story relates to having self-control as well as incentives. Self-control is not about willpower but instead about the conflicting outcomes. Kate did not exhibit self-control and delete the email and just wait for a formal acceptance/denial letter because she did not believe there were any possible outcomes that would occur out of using the website to check early. If she had reason to believe using the website would sway her possibility of going to Harvard in a negative way, I doubt she would have used the untrustworthy website. To Kate, incentives played a large role in her acting the way she did. Due to her restless anticipation to know the decision that Harvard made, her behavior was motivated by this very feeling. 

This is one of my favorite parts of the book just because of how relatable it actually is. In being an upcoming senior, I too have to begin applying for graduate school and feel that constant pit of nervous in my stomach waiting for an answer from the school of my choice. I know that the best way to know the answer to what could be a life-altering decision to which school I would be able to attend is to wait and if put in Kate’s position I know to not jump on the opportunity. Although it is easy to know what self-control is, self-control is hard to practice and it is evident in Kate’s situation. More often than not, a possible positive incentive would lead to many people abandoning their sense of self-control.  

Creative

Extension

As I read the book and learned that numbers do not actually work in influencing people’s opinions, I feel like an issue that can help be solved is climate change and global warming. Whenever these issues are discussed, people try to use statistics and numbers to explain how bad the situation is. Those who care about the shape of the earth and how humans are affecting it would be able to take great pointers from the Influential Mind by Tali Sharot. Instead of using numerical values I feel like we can start talking about what animals we love and know now will no longer be around in 10 years. Environmentalist can talk about how the upcoming generation will not be able to have a generation after them instead of saying “the earth will be demolished in 100 years.” To have people actually react and care we have to appeal to human nature as Sharot explains within her book.

Preference for food

Ever since I could remember, my parents have criticized my terribly picky eating habits. This class has opened my eyes to a new understanding of where I developed my pallet. As the class illustrated, an individual's preferences for certain foods come from both innate and conditioned backgrounds. With that being said, my parents do not have the right to disapprove of my food preferences, since their lack of exposure to a variety of foods limited my interest in it. This is a conditioned concept discussed, known as the mere exposure effect. A person given food repeatedly will naturally increase their interest in that food. Growing up, my parents did not open me up to any spicy foods, and now as a result,  I will not go near anything spicy. Additionally, on the topic of food, I was extremely shocked by the video discussing the bottomless food bowl. I could not believe that people truly eat an average of 73% more soup when they have a bottomless bowl. I decided to look into the topics of food consumption in regard to the mind, I found a new type of motivation for eating certain foods. There is a great video that describes the way food interacts with brain functioning:

Drugs

   A psychoactive drug is known a chemical substance that can alter someone’s mood or behavior. Some examples are shown as, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, cocaine, and opiates. The most used psychoactive stimulant in the world is caffeine. Personally, I use caffeine every day to feel alert and energetic in the morning. I'll make a cup of tea to start my day. Later on, in the afternoon I may stop at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee to keep me going throughout the day. If I don't have caffeine during the day I start to feel very tired and sick. 
   Many people that are feeling stressed may use nicotine or cannabis to feel more relaxed. People that struggle with anxiety may use opiates that produce a rush of an elevated mood. After someone starts to feel an intense craving for this particular drug it becomes an addiction. A craving can be shown by an uncontrollable urge for something. When someone is addicted to a drug they will start to go through withdrawals when they are not given the drug because it creates an unpleasant feeling. After someone has abstained a drug, but take it again this is called a drug relapse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwZcPwlRRcc

Reproduction

      In this chapter, I learned many things, but when it discussed selecting a mate I was very surprised to learn about the science of sex appeal. The key term mate value is descried as a person’s characteristics that make them desirable to someone else as a partner. Some of these traits are known as attractiveness, loyalty, desire for a family, and being financially secure. I can agree with all of these traits because I too look for them when finding a mate.  In the chapter, the science of sex appeal was shown as video that Douglas Kendrick has been trying to solve for years. Dr. Kendrick proves his matching theory with an experiment using ten women and ten men that are all fairly attractive. He took all of the men and women and made them dress identical to each other. Everyone was given a random number based on desirability and had to try their best to match with a person with a high number. People in real life aim high for someone very attractive known as a ten. After, if they are rejected they start to lower their number to someone that will accept them. This social experiment proves mate value when people with a higher physical attractiveness can lure other attractive people based on numbers. 

            Men and women prefer mates with different traits. For example, women prefer a mate that is financially secure with an ambition to raise a family. Men prefer mates that are good looking due to fertility to produce many children. The key term, mate poaching is shown when two people are in a relationship, but someone attempts to attract one of these people. Studies show that 60% of men and 40% of women have attempted mate poaching. As someone in their 20's I have seen mate poaching in action and how it can have a negative affect on the relationship. 

Food

            People depend on food for energy and nutrients. However, food varies from taste and texture that may not meet ones liking or preference. This can be shown by someone’s facial expressions. For example, a baby trying something sour like a lemon may cause them to feel discomfort and make an unhappy face. Something I found interesting in this chapter was early experiences with food and this is when an infant experiences taste from swallowing amniotic fluid or drinking the mothers’ breast milk. The chapter gave an example of a mother drinking carrot juice during their pregnancy and their child preferring carrot flavored cereal over a bland cereal with no taste. It makes me question what my mother ate when I was in the womb and whether or not it has an affect on me today with my feelings about food and taste. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h5mwoTwDBk

            A key term in this chapter that I can relate to the most is mere exposure effect and this is when a food is repeated and can increase ones liking for that taste. For example, my first time trying sushi I was not happy with the taste, but the more I tried to eat my liking for sushi increased. I like all kinds of foods from different cultures. I cannot relate to the key term taste aversion and it is shown when someone has a strong dislike for a particular food. 

Book report: The Influential Mind

Book report: The Influential Mind

Drugs

I learned a lot from the lecture slides titled "Drugs". I'm a person who likes to have caffeinated and alcoholic beverages from time to time, but I feel so lucky that I don't constantly need to have them in order to numb any emotion I want to ignore and fall into an addiction. I've seen the negative effects of alcohol addicts and it's very upsetting. It's okay to go out and have a good time, but don't use alcohol as a way to get drunk and escape your reality of struggles and depression. You are only going to make the situation worse. Also, opiates is not another way to help with mental illness and numb the pain away from anxiety and stress. Becoming addicted to opiates is very dangerous and not worth it. There are people who care about your health, like your family and friends, who can help get you out of your dark place and get you the help that you need.

Here's an informal article about drug addiction:

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction\

Self-Control and Impulsive Choices

I thought the lecture explaining self-control was very interesting, especially the topic of impulsive choices. I believe self-control is an important and beneficial quality to have because you are more likely to not give in to situations than people who don't have self-control or very little. This is something I'm trying to have more of because a lack of self-control can lead to impulsive choices, like buying items you don't need, but want instead of using that money for necessities or saving up your money. It's very easy to fall into that trap and make impulsive choices without really thinking about what you are doing. I think having self-control and working on it will help people become more aware of their habits and try to break away from them.

Here's an informal article about impulsive decisions:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/18/look-before-you-leap-17-ways-to-slow-down-impulsive-decisions/#43d700994440