In Against Empathy, Paul Bloom explains why empathy might not be as great as the majority of people think it is. He says that empathy is bias and makes cases for why it should not be used as a moral compass. Bloom explains how empathy may not only have negative consequences for you, but also for the person you’re empathizing with. He illustrates his points with examples ranging from politics and human rights to parenting and medical care.
This is me! (:
I have two favorite parts of the book. The first part is when Paul Bloom talks how Buddhist philosophy supports his theory. Mindfulness mediation has shown to increase kindness while hindering empathy. Also, Buddhist texts make the assertion that “sentimental compassion”, or empathy, should be avoided because it “exhausts the bodhisattva,” while compassion can last indefinitely. I really liked this part of the book because I have always found Buddhist philosophy to be very important. I think it’s fascinating that recently I have started seeing a lot of science support Buddhist ideas which date back to before common era.
Bloom piggybacks off Buddhist ideas when saying, “we can transcend simulation when appreciating the minds of others.” This phrase really stood out to me. It reminded me of my experience becoming yoga certified. During the retreat we only had one rule. It was “leave room for other people’s greatness.” That one rule really creates a great atmosphere not only within a group, but also within one’s own mind. I lived how transformative that mindset can be, and I honestly don’t think he even realizes how substantial that phrase is.
Though empathy is not good for moral decisions, it has an extensive entanglement with motivation. What empathy does is “allow our selfish motivations to extend to others.” Empathy motivates action to make other’s suffering go away because people treat it as their own. When we use empathy, we believe we are doing the moral thing, and moral beliefs are strong motivators for action The book explains that in many cases, empathy can motivate someone to do good that was not already going to do good, but it is not the only motivation for good actions.
Recently, I read an article called “Why I Hope to Die at 75” by Ezekiel J Emanuel. (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/) Emanuel definitely employs Bloom’s idea of using kindness and compassion, as well as cost/ benefit rational reasoning in order to have come to the decision of wanting to stop all medical care except palliative care after the age of 75. One of the explanations for this decision is that he believes health care should be focusing on saving more young people rather than extending old age. Though his family and friends really hate his decision, he expects to have lived a full life by then. Rather than spending thousands and thousands of dollars on medical care as an older adult, he believes that money should be directed to save the lives of people who have not lived a full life. This is not an empathic decision, but it might be the morally right decision. As Bloom explains, it’s almost impossible to be empathic towards a large group of people, especially if they are not very similar to you.
This video is Paul Bloom’s sneak peak of the book. It really gives you a feel for the book and voice throughout the book.
In Paul Bloom’s, Against Empathy, Bloom argues empathy as a source of pleasure, but that is more negative than positive in human affairs. While the author recognizes that stating he is against empathy is very taboo, the reason for writing this book was to make the world a better place, and thereby forcing people to recognize that relying on empathy is misplaced. The topics explored in this novel exemplify how empathy is a balancing act, and while it's good for some things, it should generally be avoided. The differences between the subjects discussed are vast and stem from political views to romance. His position on these topics differ, but Bloom’s position on empathy doesn’t dissuade from it being negative as a whole. Empathy, in short, is stepping into someone else’s shoes and feeling their pain, but what benefits does that truly bring us? Bloom argues to think with your head instead of your heart, because empathy is limited, biased, and affects your rationality.
In Chapter 4, Bloom compares the personality trait of being empathetic to what partners search for in a relationship. Motivation to mate was a subject discussed in class, as well as the traits we search for. Empathy is a trait that people search for in a romantic relationship, but the author argues that it’s not empathy people look for, but instead kindness and warmth. The motivation to mate and the motivation to be empathetic are both tied to a theory that our existence is purely to continue our genetic code. The author addresses this argument, and says it is a nihilistic way of looking at the world and is truly incorrect. Humans are about more than surviving, reproducing, and natural selection. Bloom proves that this theory is wrong by discussing our relationship with food. “We eat because we’re hungry, or bored, or anxious, or want to be good guests, or hate ourselves, or whatever. There are no deep theological musings about genetic survival running through our heads as we dig into a bag of potato chips.” What the author means in this quote is that we have more incentive to our actions than mere survival, we look for emotional fulfillment which can be acquired without offspring. Our existence has more meaning than the reproduction of our genetic codes.
Paul Bloom argues that while it is beneficial to receive empathy from others, the person who is empathetic is not receiving the same treatment back, and therefore it loses its charm. Empathy is a balance and trade-off of emotions which the author sees as overwhelmingly negative for the person who is giving it. People are complex creatures, and their motivations are typically masked. Going through life you hear a lot of stories of past trauma from friends, family members, and whoever you may come across. While letting people vent to you is beneficial for the person who is trying to reach out, the empathy you may feel for them is harmful to your own well being, and what you should focus on is compassion. Compassion is different from empathy because while you can help someone in pain you don’t have to feel it as well. While someone may have gone through a traumatic experience, and you want to help them, you don’t have to relive your own pain to accommodate or ease someone else’s. Arguably the best knowledge the reader can take from this book is to help others without being harmful to themselves.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, is a beautifully written book about how habits the ability to control our lives. Through the examples of real-life stories, sports teams and companies we see how habits help form the basis for many subconscious actions that people do. Duhigg said that approximately 40 percent of the actions people performed each day were not actual decisions, but habits. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was broken up into three sections that focused on different aspects. The first section focuses on how habits emerge within individual lives. The second looked at successful companies and organizations and their habits. The third part concentrated on the habits in societies. This allowed for the broad understand of how habits can affect in each level of society.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to identifying habits and understanding how to change or stop them. Through this book I was able to learn important information about habits that I feel as though I should now share with fellow readers out there. These lessons will further your understanding upon habits and teach you effective ways to rid yourself of unwanted ones.
The first lessons learned was on how habits operate. Habits can be broken down into a three-step process: the habit is triggered by a cue, that produces a routine, which ultimately results in a reward. Cues usually fall into one of five categories: location, time emotions, others, or last action. Knowing which cue falls into which categories becomes useful when wanting to change your habits.
As the book progresses you learn that there is a fourth component to the habit loop cycle which is craving.
Duhigg introduces this component with the example of Julio the monkey and juice. Julio is hooked up to a monitor and when shapes appear on the screen he pulls a lever, and if correct he receives juice. Julio learns that if he gets the shapes correct he gets the reward of juice. After a while he begins to learn that seeing the shapes on the monitor, before pulling the lever, will result in the juice. The experiment then changes to where the juice is not given every time, with a delay, or it is watered down. When Julio anticipated the juice and did not receive it he would become angry or mopey. This finding resulted in the new addition to the habit loop. Cravings occur after a habit has been established, it reinforces the habit to continue, whether bad or good. That is why that whenever someone sees a box of donuts they start craving a donut, regardless if they were hungry or not.
After reading The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, I had the motivation to dive in a really tackle the habits I know are undesirable for me. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to finally rid themselves of bad habits and start making a more successful productive lifestyle for themselves.
The Willpower Instinct, written by Dr. Kelly McGonigal, dives into the different pitfalls of exerting willpower in everyday life and how we can use techniques to train our ability to take better control of our lives. McGonigal defines willpower in 3 distinct categories: "I won't" power, "I will" power, and "I want" power. "I won't" power refers to the normal definition most people think of when they hear the term willpower: our ability to break a habit or resist temptation. This type of willpower fits with goals such as quitting smoking or not binge-eating. On the other hand, if you want to get to something you've been putting off for a while such as cleaning your room or exercising, you would be practicing "I will" power. "I want power" refers to our ability to remember and stick towards a long term goal instead of falling for short term rewards.
Willpower is like a muscle. It can get fatigued after repeated use and can be trained. Throughout the book, McGonigal explains different ways we can train ourselves to better practice will power through things such as meditation, "dopamizing" our willpower challenges, surfing the urge, and more. The book also explains phenomenons that lead us to self-control failures such as moralizing our goals, ironic rebound, or setting those future goals in ways that don't align with our future selves. For instance, when we consider progress towards our ultimate goal as morally good, we are more inclined to become susceptible to moral licensing. This means we may do something counterintuitive towards our goal based on the merit of our past "good" deed. This would be like eating an unhealthy meal after a workout since we earned it.
While reading the book, I learned that I made a mistake in my previous post "Impulsivity and Horny Rats." In Old's experiment with rats, he didn't find a way to stimulate pleasure in the brain of rats, but he rather stimulated the promise of pleasure. A common misconception is that dopamine is responsible for a feeling of happiness but responsible for the anticipation of reward or desire. In a similar experiment with humans, the test subjects repeated the same results as the rats constantly pressing the button that stimulated the part of their brain wired with the electrode. They did not do this out of pleasure but because their brain was telling them that pleasure will come eventually if they keep hitting the button. This prompted the test participants to keep pressing the button well after the electrode was removed. The same type of logic can be used for a gambler. (Here's a relevant video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa_AhggFpHw )
While they may be at a net lose at the table, the dopamine being released in their brain is constantly telling them that the next hand just might be their big break and will bring them happiness. Dopamine can be both good and bad. Too much may lead to increased impulsivity, but too little can lead to anhedonia and depression. That's why one of the techniques to suggested by McGonigal to improve willpower is to "dopamize" your willpower challenge. This can be as simple as listening to music while cleaning or lighting a pleasantly scented candle.
I have not gotten much of a chance to put these techniques into action, but reading the book has supplied me with an arsenal of tricks and techniques to use to accomplish my own personal goals. One of my goals is too eat healthier and work out more. Eating healthier can be looked at as an "I will" power challenge since it evolves me adding healthier foods to my diet but also as a "I won't" challenge by weening out the unhealthier foods that I usually eat. For instance, we have a clear jar of Oreo's on the counter in our kitchen. My mother saw a video on Facebook and thought it looked nice much to chagrin of my father and I who constantly take several anytime we see it. It's the first thing we see on the counter whenever we are hungry, so we instinctively go for it first. Their are several ways to combat this challenge such as having a healthier snack like pistachios right next to it. I could also ask myself "is eating this oreo really worth throwing out my goal of losing weight" each time I take one instead of mindlessly taking a bunch. By doing this, I can slowly turn myself off from the idea of going to the jar and instead go for healthier alternatives.
The book The Influential
Mind by neuroscientist Tali Sharot explores the depth of how human nature and
influence play a substantial role in all that we do and know. Our brains are
evolutionarily hardwired and synchronized, therefore, we react to situations in
similar ways, despite our genetic differences. This novel uses statistics,
neurology-based experiments, and case studies to explore how our innate instincts
affect influential behaviors. Topics covered include data methodology flaws, persuasion
regarding emotion, incentives, agency, curiosity, state of mind (stress), and
more. Sharot exemplified her reasoning through facts and elicited emotion
throughout the novel to help the readers understand and relate to the topics discussed
in each chapter. We understand other people fairly well because of our more similar
than not chemical/genetic makeup, however, the ability to effectively influence
lies in our ability to understand another’s perspective (Theory of Mind) and
make decisions according to their mood, behavior, actions, etc.
I learned an abundant
amount of information throughout the whole novel but one chapter that particularly
stood out to me was chapter 2. In this chapter, Sharot discusses how emotions
are “contagious” and how they override facts, charts, statistics, and most
objective reasoning regarding changing or altering one’s beliefs. While sharing
ideas takes “time and cognitive effort”, sharing emotion occurs instantaneously
and automatically. Psychology is a crucial science because it explores human interactions
and how we feel, behave, think, reason, process, act, etc. Without emotion, we
would all conform to the first belief we heard and be programmed similar to a robot
because we would not have any quick, unconscious, and instant emotional
response controlling our thoughts.
If you think about debating,
there are typically two sides to a debate. One person argues one cause and the
other person argues the contrary. While the knowledge, competence, and
information displayed help the debaters remain credible and accurate, it is the
emotion they present that captures the audience and synchronizes their brain
movements. A study using an MRI scanner at Princeton University showed that while
people were listening to powerful speeches, their neurons elevated and quieted
at the same time, almost as if their brains were working in unison. This
phenomenon occurred because the speech was intriguing and captivating. However,
the brain patterns would look very different from one another if the speech was
presented in a dry, monotonous way. This shows how despite differences in
genetics, we humans are more similar to each other than we think.
The idea regarding the power
in emotion lingered with me throughout the day. When reading, I consistently
thought about the neural patterns in individuals with neurological differences.
I asked myself “are neural patterns and brain synchronization similar in individuals
who display neurological differences, such as autism?” In other words, are
these linked reactions solely dependent on the functioning of the neurotypical
mind? Countless studies have shown that people with diagnoses such as ASD and
ADHD have heightened amygdala and deficits in the areas of the frontal lobe,
which is responsible for many executive functioning tasks. The cerebellum,
responsible for motor movements, and the hippocampus, responsible for forming
memories, are also seen to differentiate in neurodiverse individuals.
Therefore, after some minor research, I found that those with autism have extra
synapses in the brain and a difference in neuron pruning. As a result, deficits
in social understanding, social communication, and the Theory of Mind might
play a role in emotional attention and neural patterns when attempting to be influenced.
Contrastingly, individuals from different countries, backgrounds, and
lifestyles were able to tune in and synchronize their brain, but this may be because
their neural patterns work the same. Not much is known about this topic yet so I
would be intrigued to find out more.
Note: The infinity sign is a popular neurodiversity symbol
Chapter 5 piqued my interest
as it discusses how curiosity controls many of our wants and feelings. A lot of
the time, we as humans are uncomfortable with uncertainty so we will do almost
anything to decode the information that we have been missing. However, while we
seek out positive news, we go to great lengths to avoid knowing negative news. This
is because information affects our emotions and emotions affect our beliefs. The
beginning of this chapter discusses the new modifications made to pre-safety
flight videos and how highlighting the travel destination embedded with cute
pictures and people dancing in a safety video captures the passenger’s
attention more than a monologue covering all the warnings, precautions, and
potential mishaps. This is because we want to feel good and seeking out
information such as a flight emergency will do more harm than good to our
feelings.
A lot of the time, our
self-control tied in with impulsivity and curiosity can get the best of us. The
saying “curiosity kills the cat” really is applicable in many situations. We as
humans are motivated to seek the good and avoid the bad, which is why we do
things like check the stock market more frequently when it is rising. Checking
it consistently when the market is not doing well would only serve as an advantage
if we are undergoing a recession, where economic hardships are ruining thousands
of people’s socioeconomic statuses. People actively seek out
this information because they need to know rather than want to know and feel as
though they can potentially do something about it.
Furthermore, in the book’s
example, a student name Kate who applied to Harvard’s Business School was
compelled to click on a link her friend emailed her called “Brookbond” which
can determine one’s acceptance before the actual release date. While Kate saw a
blank screen, which indicated that she was accepted, shortly after, Harvard
rescinded Kate and 119 other applicant’s acceptance letters as it interfered with
the school’s breach of ethics. In this situation, Kate lacked the self-control
and temptation to get a sneak peek. Her impulsive choice tied with the
incentive of knowing this information sooner, possibly to relieve any anxiety
or stress, got the best of her. This shows how humans are motivated to know
what they do not know ahead of time to acquire knowledge and fill in any
information gap.
This video touches on impulsivity and why we make decisions that are seemingly irrational. These bases, as mentioned previously, are connected to our emotions and emotional regulation systems.
Overall, this novel does
a remarkable job depicting how human's prior belief systems can override many
forms of persuasion unless specific tactics are used to influence the mind.
This book also does an amazing job evaluating the human brain from an evolutionary
and scientific perspective through studies, experiments, and research. It is
easy to come up with a speech based on your thoughts and ideas and present them
to a room full of people. However, doing so in a convincing matter is where the
difficulty lies. To persuade others, we as humans must acknowledge and study
other people’s thought patterns, reactions, and behaviors to influence people collectively
as a whole.
While reading through the list of books that we were able to choose from to write our book report on, the one that caught my eye the most was "Grit" by Angela Duckworth. In this book 'Angela shows parents, educators, students and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but instead a focused persistence which is called Grit" (Angela Duckworth).
"Angela Duckworth is the world's leading expert on "Grit," the much hyped ingredient in personal success. As Duckworth defines it, grit is a passion and sustained persistence applied toward long term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way" (Angela Duckworth). Angela states that the 5 characteristics of Grit are courage, conscientiousness: achievement Oriented vs. Dependable, long term goals and endurance follow through, resilience: optimism, confidence and creativity, and the last one is excellence vs perfection. Grit can help you achieve and be successful in anything whether it's finding and having an interview for your dream job, sports, doing good in school, etc.
Never giving up on something you truly love is something that is very important. Make sure that no matter what you are doing be sure to give it your all, redo it if necessary, ignore giving up because that is certainly never the answer to anything, and take your time to do it right.
The science behind stress eating has shown that under stress the brain chooses the short-term reward, which is food. Food is also a comfort, which helps to relieve the stress for a short while. One study looked at MRIs of men and found that the stressed group chose unhealthy foods while the others did not. The brain during this time saw an increase in activity in the amygdala (areas of emotion and reward) and a lower level of activity in the pre-frontal cortex (areas of decision making and self-control). This shows that there is a physiological reason that stress eating occurs and that willpower alone might not due the trick. The best way is to remove the temptation (food) away from you while working, find healthy alternatives to reduce stress like working out, and if needed seek social support.
The video below explains the experiment that took place about stress eating:
The topic of addictions is never an easy concept to cover, the reason being that it hits home with too many people. Addiction has littered the world in every way imaginable, but the worst, in my opinion, is the opioid epidemic. I took Stockton’s Drug Epidemic class one semester and was absolutely interested in the process that occurs in the brain of addicts. Like the lifelong addicts shown in the video once hooked it is almost impossible to get off. The reason being is that there are specific receptors in your brain that match perfectly with an opioid. Once attached it blocks any pain and starts flooding the brain’s reward system with dopamine. However, the reason withdrawal from opioids is so hard is because it changes the way a person processes pain making the withdrawal even more painful.
Procrastination is a deadly curse that affects every person at some point in their lives. Personally, I have tried countless attempts to try and fix this flaw about myself for years and can never seem to find something that has worked for me. This was the major reason for taking this class; to find the motivation to do the work right when it was given, instead of right before it was due. The first lecture on impulsivity and self-control was the perfect way to start of the course because it highlighted the key theory on procrastination, the Temporal Motivation Theory. The Temporal Motivation Theory states as follows:
It was the perfect equation to understand exactly when and how a project or paper becomes my first priority and why. In the beginning of the course my expectancy (the chance of an outcome occurring) was high that I would accomplish the course and my value (how rewarding the outcome is) was average. On the bottom, my impulsiveness (the likelihood of you being distracted by instant gratification) was very high because it was summer and I wanted to just have fun. The delay (how long the wait is for the reward) was high, because the end of the course seemed so far away. This made my motivation to do the class in the beginning low.
However, as the days creeped closer to the ending of the course I saw my motivation rise slowly. Then it got even closer and I saw it skyrocket to where it became my first priority. By doing this I realized that my procrastination stems from the belief that I know I can accomplish a set amount of work within a set time frame. However, I also realize like most the amount of stress that accompanies which is why I would like to rid the label of ‘procrastinator.” By understanding Temporal Motivation Theory, I was able to come up with a way to raise my value by adding rewards to tasks that I accomplish, and by lower my impulsiveness by shutting off all my distractions. To reinforce this, I plan on putting my rewards (ten minutes on my phone or watching YouTube, a quick snack, etc.) after I shut off all my distraction and work for a set amount of time. Hopefully, by using the formula I can final shed the label of 'procrastinator.'
Studies show that people are more motivated to use certain drugs based off their personality traits.
People who use marijuana tend to have a higher IQ, hold unconventional ideas, are willing to try new things, might have common mental health disorders, and enjoy artistic and cultural experiences. People that use stimulants tend to score high on extraversion and openness, are prone to impulsivity, are socially confident, and are less preoccupied by negative concerns. People that use psychedelics score high on openness, are more intelligent than average, are less concerned with tidiness and punctuality, might be impulsive, and usually have a positive disposition. People that use opiates score high in neuroticism and conscientiousness. They perceive themselves as lacking something in their life and might want to be emotionally numb. They usually have unresolved issues and may have experienced trauma. They are goal-oriented, carefully carry out their duties, and over-analyze things. People who use sedatives score high on neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. They don’t like the unknown or things that challenge the status quo. They like routines, are friendly, and might be considered a worrier.
I choose the book Against Empathy by Paul Bloom. I am a very Empathic person, I feel and read emotions of people very well. And I can respond to those emotions and offer emotion, mental,
and physical support. So when looking at the list of books to pick, Against Empathy just stood out to me. A book where Paul Bloom talks about taking the emotions and feeling out of life.
How our justice system would be different, school system, and much more.
This book has an amazing way to make you think and wonder about how Empathy really works. How it asks small little questions to the reader so you can react and think.
Many questions in this book I have brought up with my brother have conversations due to his interest in the book as well.
From chapters about placing yourself in the shoes of others to the cruel world of violence we live in, Paul Bloom does an amazing job guiding you into this journey of being or even for, empathy.
My favorite part of the book currently has to be questions and thought provoking energy this book gives. It allows the reader to stop and think. On page 22 of the book,
Paul Bloom talks about an Chinese philosopher, Mencius. He asked this time old question " imagine that you are walking by a lake and see a young child struggling in shallow water.
If you can easily wade into the water and save her, you should do it. It would be wrong to keep walking."
To me I love this mind asking question, should you help, is it your problem that this child could drown. I would personally help, but in the back of my mind, what if i fail to save her?
Would I be charged for anything? Where is this child's parents shouldn't they help? The empathic side of is saying to help, but not everyone can be helped.
While reading Against Empathy and going over what we learned in class. It was but difficult to try and find sometime I could relate too. But then it hit me. From Endurance by Alfred Lansing,
a book to me not only about endurance both physically and mentally, but also emotionally. The captain of the ship, Ernest Shackleton.
Him and his men go through hell, and survive the hellish landscape of the cold antarctic. Not only having to hunt and survive, but endure every moment.
But where the empathy came in, where emotion came in was from Shackleton. The man was in control of it all,
captain of the crew and he had to try his best to keep his men's morale afloat.
Shackleton, even going through the same pain as his men, still showed and attempted to keep things positive,
and that is what empathy is about, being able to connect and work together towards a better goal.
Can this book itself cause any change? No. But can the book teach and give insight how the world can and can not be with or without empathy? Yes.
The book itself raises questions about morals and doing good things. Giving you real life problems that would make you question, "would I do that?".
Seeing this 2016 election and now soon the 2020, and how people act over wearing a face mask, how we treat people just from the different color of our skin.
We are all overdue to relearn empathy. Overall I highly recommend this book to anyone who just wants to learn more about empathy, or to be against it
Bloom, P. (2018). Against empathy: The case for rational compassion. London: Vintage Digital.
Below is a link to a slide show I made that is a brief summary of each chapter and a few quotes I liked in each chapter
In the book "Grit" by psychologist Angela Duckworth, is for anyone who wants to succeed. This book opens up your eyes and makes you discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement and talks about winningly personal, insightful and powerful. Gritis a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that not talent or luck makes all the difference. As Duckworth defines it, grit is passion and sustained persistence applied toward long term achievement with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control in the pursuit of goals that take months, years, or even decades.
The secret to outstanding achievement does not come from talent, but it comes from grit. It's a special blend of passion, persistence, and perseverance for long term goals. People who have grit are able to maintain their determination and motivation over long periods despite experiences with failure and adversity. Grit is about holding the same top level goal for a very long time and it's your ultimate concern and something that gives direction and meaning to all the goals below it. There's 4 different psychological assets to grit and they are interest, hope, practice, and purpose.
My favorite of the book is in chapter 1 titled "Showing Up." The reason why it's my favorite is because grit stems from showing up. In any goal you want to achieve, the only way you'll achieve is if you show up and do the work. No talent is needed to show up, it's juts a matter of determination and how bad you want it. On the first day you go to achieve your goal and fail, if you show up the next day with the mentality to beat that obstacle, that's grit. No matter how many times you fail, the only thing that matters is if you show up the next day to overcome it and that's called grit and passion. Your goal may take weeks, months, and maybe a year to complete but it all stems from showing up to achieve it. For example, in the book we read for class, "Endurance", they face many obstacles when sailing. Boats get wrecked, food is low, and they're trying to survive in harsh weather conditions. With their determination, passion, and grit they overcome obstacles and achieve their goal.
Also from the lecture slide we studied in class titled, "Performance," relates to grit. The Inverted-U arousal relationship relates to grit because it talks about performance and task complexity. With grit in athletic performance you don't have to have all the talent to be good. As long as you have grit and strive to be the best and pursue and become better, hard work beats talent. That relates to the inverted-u arousal relationship because when you see other competition, you become better and work harder. For me as a college athlete baseball player I'm around this everyday. I see people competing with each other daily and see people who have grit and don't. Being around the game of baseball for my whole life I've seen this many times. If you have grit you will be a successful baseball player.
Grit is an awesome thing to have. If have grit you will be very successful in any thing you wish to accomplish. Not only does revive around sports, but it can revolve around anything like a job or personal goals too. Grit can help with real world problems. If you get knocked down its the courage you have to get back up and face your obstacles which is grit. This book is awesome and you can really find your true passion through grit from this book. This book will also help you with any personal problems or goals because as you read it, you will understand the true meaning of grit and it can help in your life. I really enjoyed reading this book and it helped me learn the new meaning of grit.
Americans and Europeans view food very differently. Generally the more food a person is given, the more food a person will eat. This is a major problem in the united states because as a society, we are always in a rush. This means, when we are given a large portion of food, we will not take our time eating it, we will scarf it down, not allowing time for our stomachs to even register how much food we have eaten and tell our brains that we are full. Therefore, we overeat. In Europe, food is seen as a more of a social occasion. It is not rushed. They eat to nourish their bodies. (These are general statements, I am not saying everyone is like this. You may be an exception.) Below are 5 eating habits Americans should adapt to improve health.
The story of Endurance exhibits the tenacity of
the human spirit through the most perilous obstacles. Throughout the story, the
crew had to endure treacherous voyages against unforgiving seas, subzero temperatures,
above all the challenge of sharing a makeshift urinal with 21 other men. During
the stay on Elephant Island waiting for Shackleton to return with help, the men
huddled into a jury-rigged hut made from stones and their two remaining boats to shield
themselves from the glacial winds. To combat the need for each man to braise these
conditions anytime nature calls, Wild fashioned a urinal out of a 2-gallon
gasoline tank. The rule was that anyone who raised its level to 2 inches or
less from the top had to go out a dump it. This created a sort of risk-reward
system of whether to drain the main vein or not. The men judged how full the
tank by the sound it made from the last guy to use it. The more full it
sounded, the more likely they were going to be the unlucky one to have to go
outside to empty. If this doesn’t instantly remind you of temporal motivation equation,
I don’t know what does. The equation reads as follows:
Motivation= (Expectancy x Value)/(Impulsiveness
x Delay)
·Now to make this really make sense, "Value" which
refers to how rewarding the outcome would be viewed in more of a
negative light since the reward the lucky winner gets is going outside in the frigid
cold. "Expectancy" is the likelihood that the next golden deposit will be the one
to push it over the edge which was judged by ear. "Impulsiveness" can be looked
at as bladder control (the less bladder control, the higher the value). "Delay" is quite simply how long until morning. Through this equation, the men’s
motivation to hold it in until morning can be calculated with some practicing herculean
levels of bladder control that makes me ever grateful for indoor plumbing and
heating. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk involving the peeing habits of
shipwrecked sailors.
In 1953, James Olds conducted a series of experiments
on rats that involved the implantation of electrodes into the hypothalamus of rats.
These experiments discovered the pleasure center of the brain and lead to an
interesting development into the nature of impulsivity. In one experiment, the
rats were given the option between two switches: one supplied the box with food
and water and the other stimulated the electrode. The rats almost always chose
self-stimulation with some reportedly pressing the button as often as 2000
times for 24 hours. Whether they would have actually starved themselves to death
is inconclusive since they were unhooked in fear that they would do so. Judging
on this precaution, I’m going to say they probably would have. The rats showed
a clear favoritism towards the quicker reward of stimulation rather than debatably
more important of food. This favoritism is the central idea behind impulsive choices.
It is possible that their value they assigned to their immediate hunger would
eventually outweigh the value they placed in the pleasure button but not before
reaping consequences for undereating. However, humans are arguably more forward
thinking than rats. We can recognize the benefits of later reward that could be
far greater than their short term alternative.
I feel like everyone has that one liquor that
they avoid like the plague because of one really bad night. You know that one
night where you took one to several shots too many. You wake up the next day to
immediately pray to Jesus through the big porcelain telephone that you’ll never
drink again only to double back like a week to a month later. That’s fireball for
me. To this day, I cannot take a whiff of the cinnamon whiskey without being
whisked away to the backseat of my dad’s jeep swearing I had a “stomach bug” as
I intermittently shared last night’s dinner with a paper bag that was keeping
it together just as well as I was (poorly). What I just colorfully described is
an example of taste aversion, the dislike of food due to the association with
nausea. Now this association extends beyond getting off your trolley. You may
have gotten food poisoning from some bad shrimp, and now you swear off the delicious
sea insects solely on the one bad experience. Maybe you caught a whiff of durian,
a fruit I’ve never eaten and never will because it smells like a well-used jockstrap. Regardless, all these feelings can be described under the blanket term
of taste aversion.
I really love the topic "Incentives" because they are used frequently and in every day life. Every action has an associating behavior which leads to a positive, negative or neutral consequence. Our choices on an individual level and the government/society on a worldwide level are driven by incentives.
Many people are positively and negatively reinforced each day without even recognizing it. Reinforcers increase the frequency of a behavior. For example, if you decide to take out the trash on a whim and you mother acknowledges your hard work around the house, you are more likely to increase this behavior; the compliment becomes desirable. This is a classic example of positive reinforcement, which gives us an incentive to continue our behavior. We are easily negatively reinforced as well. Ever took ibuprofen or Tylenol for a massive headache? That is a classic example of negative reinforcement as you are increasing the behavior of pill swallowing to TAKE AWAY the pounding, throbbing headache.
Intrinsic and extrinsic behaviors play a great factor in the incentive world as well. You can be either intrinsically motivated to perform a task, which means that the motivation is drawn from your own inquisitiveness and willing to learn, or extrinsically motivated to do something, which typically involves primary or secondary gains such as food, water, stickers or prizes. However, this concept is not as straightforward as it might appear as many people are driven by both. For example, an adult is deciding on taking up a job offer. They might love their profession and be intrinsically motivated to work for their own purposes but the incentive involving a paycheck might be the extrinsic motivating factor that make or breaks the deal. While extrinsic incentives tend to decrease already intrinsic desires and interests, incentives can help maintain or increase performance as seen in the example above.
The video below takes a unique view on incentive's and how video games are the perfect example of this. It is extremely relatable and contains many side facts (such as an analogy regarding poverty) that brings the topic together.
The Influential Mind was an incredible exploration of human nature and how influence plays a vital role in all that we do. Tali Sharot, a neuroscientist, depicts the core elements that govern how our mind and brains functions. The book mapped out key factors such as emotion, incentives, agency, curiosity, and other peoples’ influence on how we think and behavior. Through our own language, expressions, and actions we directly influence others without even knowing it. Through the emotional storyline, Sharot depicted this information in a way that was easy to relate to, comprehend, and learn. Due to the great influence each of us has on one another, Sharot provides insight on how to influence other’s in a positive and more effective way.
One of the solutions Sharot highlighted was that immediate rewards work better than threats for motivating people to act.As humans, we have circuits in our brain that choose reliability over unreliability and pleasure over pain. Motivating others with a reliable and pleasurable reward, is a more effective approach than threats. This correlates directly back to our course slides on reinforcers. When given a reward, people are more likely to be influenced and follow through with the desired behavior. Human nature is designed to choose pleasure over pain. Immediate pleasurable rewards are an impactful way on influencing others.
Another tool Sharot suggested was to offer control to someone rather than giving them orders. Majority of people become anxious and stressed when control is removed from their lives. We can work with the human nature of control by providing people with the option of choice. When people have the ability to choose their own behavior and actions, they experience the sense of control, and therefore they are more open to being influenced. Effectance is a topic covered in class that talks about an individual’s need to actively control their environment. When I wake up and decide I am going to work out today, I made that decision on my own terms. This is much more effective than someone waking me up and ordering me to go workout.
In addition, Sharot stressed that humans will pay closer attention to something that highlights the possibility of progress, rather than disaster. Our human emotions lean towards hope rather than fear. Thus, if we highlight positive and hopeful messages, it is easier to influence others. This could be related to selecting a mate. When individuals select a mate, they look at the possibility of progress. Men tend to select a partner based on good looks, indicating fertility, and an increase in chance of offspring. Women tend to select a partner based on financial prospects, ambitious, and security, which will increase their chance of survival. We pay closer attention to factors that increase the possibility of growth and prosperity, rather than doom and disaster.
One of my favorite parts of the book that Sharot presents is the power of emotions in humans. The easiest way to communicate with someone is through emotion. This process is instant and rather effortless. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have a tremendous impact on how others feel around you.
For example, I am in a positive and euphoric mood. I just had a good adrenaline-rushing workout and a delicious and fulfilling meal. I am headed to the beach for the rest of the day with my close friend. When my friend arrives at my house, I instantaneously feel that something is wrong. Through his facial expressions and posture, I can easily identify that something is not right. As he greets me, his tone of voice and language illustrate a state of anger. My empathy towards all that I am perceiving cause my high spirits to decline. As he explains what has happened, I first begin to feel sorry and terrible about the situation and by the end of the story I am resentful for him about the situation. Before all of this my emotions were at a high, yet the power of my friends’ emotions on my own, influenced my entire state. Sharot explains, that our brains are designed in a way to transmit emotions quickly to one another. Emotions convey important information about around surrounding environment. If this example involved fear, I would become afraid because my brain detects possible danger. If the example involved excited, I would become excited due to the possibility of future rewards.
Our emotion nature can relate back to all the course modules in one way or another. When looking at intrinsically motivated behavior, we base this one the three different sources of curiosity, effectance, and flow. Curiosity, as a source of intrinsic motivations, enables one in exploring and learning about their environment. A major way individuals explore and learn about their environment is through studying and interpreting the emotions of others. Effectance refers to an individual’s need to actively control their environment. We control our environment largely through emotion. Lastly, flow refers to a pleasurable state that stems from being involved. Our emotions change based on the surroundings of our environment. We tend to be attracted to those people or things that give us pleasure, and we avoid people and things that bring us pain.
Overall, the book does an incredible job at depicting human nature and our wants and needs. The Influential Mindgives you great insight on how we influence others and how we are influenced by others and Sharot provides numerous solutions on how we can more effectively influence our surroundings. The Sharot believes, once we all have a deeper comprehension of the workings of the brain and mind, it can therefore help us in creating impact and avoiding errors when trying to change others.
"The pleasure principle does not abandon the intention of ultimately obtaining pleasure, but it nevertheless demands and carries into effect the postponement of satisfaction, the abandonment of a number of possibilities of gaining satisfaction and the temporary toleration of unpleasure as a step on the long indirect road to pleasure" Sigmund Freud
"The consequences of an act affect the probability of it's occurring again" BF Skinner
