Posts in Human Behaviour
Why People Are So Self-Conscious
Why People Are So Self-Conscious

If you’ve ever accidentally worn mismatching socks, or woken up with a pimple you can’t hide, or worn an outfit that defies your usual wardrobe style, you have probably felt it. That sense that everyone is looking at you; judging your appearance or noticing that flaw.

By the time you get home, you may have convinced yourself that your socks or pimple or slight alteration of appearance is the talk of the town.

Surely everyone in the office noticed as soon as you got to work in the morning.

The thing is... they probably didn’t.

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Human Behaviour, ProductivitySonia Diabspotlight effect, illusion of transparency, self, self conscious
The Power of Patience and Why We Complain About Kids These Days
The Power of Patience and Why We Complain About Kids These Days

The common perception of patience is that of a dwindling human virtue, clutching onto life as Leo DiCaprio clutched onto that piece of wood.

And the perception makes sense when we consider the instant-gratification we get from social media, immediate responses in communication, fast shopping and meal deliveries, and breaking news updates straight to our phone.

If someone said to me that young people now are more patient than previous generations at the same age, I wouldn’t believe them.

​Alas, I’m about to tell you that exact thing, so feel free not to believe me.

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Human Behaviour, PhilosophySonia Diabpatience
Groupthink: When People in Groups Make Irrational Decisions
Groupthink: When People in Groups Make Irrational Decisions

Groupthink occurs when social conformity in a group leads to irrational decision-making or beliefs.

Janis describes it as “the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive ingroup that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.”

He goes on to say, “…the term refers to a deterioration in mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgments as a result of group pressures”.

Janis argues that groupthink drove the failure to anticipate Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor despite the various warning signs. Intelligence lost contact with Japanese aircraft carriers, but Admiral H. E. Kimmel and his post didn’t even suspect that they could be the next target.

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Human Behaviour, PhilosophySonia Diabgroupthink, philosophy, stoicism, decision making
The Narcissist vs. the Machiavellian: What's the Difference?
The Narcissist vs. the Machiavellian: What's the Difference?

The dark triad subclinical traits involve toxic behaviours which you may be familiar with: Using specific strategies to achieve selfish goals; dishonest social tactics and manipulation for personal gain.

But while discussions of narcissism are popular these days and the dark triad traits are often discussed together, in practice it can be tricky to discern between Machiavellianism and narcissism.

There is a significant amount of literature, especially with narcissism which involves several types of narcissists (a topic for another time), and I’m going to try and keep it simple here. What is a narcissist, what is a Machiavellian, and what’s the difference?

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Human BehaviourSonia Diabdark triad, narcissism, Machiavellian
How Gratitude Can Make You Happier
How Gratitude Can Make You Happier

Amor fati. A key part of Stoicism, the concept translates to “love of fate”.

It means we embrace and accept everything that comes our way. We make the best out of our circumstances and appreciate that things happen: It is not the thing, but how we respond to it that matters.

So, even if circumstances are beyond our realm of control, we stay positive and accepting.

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Philosophy, Human BehaviourSonia Diabgratitude
How to Remember Someone’s Name (and Why it's Important)
How to Remember Someone’s Name (and Why it's Important)

“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie.

Implicit egotism is the notion that people are drawn to things – people, locations, anything really – that we associate with the self.

As a teeny example, when I would play Mortal Kombat when I was younger, I would only play as the character Sonia.

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Human Behaviour, Leadership and InfluenceSonia Diabnames, rapport, memory
How to Get a Better Night's Sleep
How to Get a Better Night's Sleep

Sleep is the opportunity for our brains and bodies to recharge. It helps our waking concentration, planning, memory, and weight-regulation. Sleep deprivation has been linked to irritability, increased anxiety, poor memory, reduced reasoning and verbal skills, and physical dysfunction on almost every conceivable level from obesity to the risk of motor vehicle accidents to cardiovascular problems. There are also estimates that about 90% of clinically depressed patients note issues with sleep quality, including insomnia.

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Productivity, Human BehaviourSonia Diabsleep
How Much Money Do You Need to Earn to Be Happy?
How Much Money Do You Need to Earn to Be Happy?

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

If it did, though, I don’t know about you, but I’d buy a money tree. Definitely.

And although we all grew up on the idea that money isn’t everything, we can accept that it’s still something.

Does earning more money make us happier? It seems the answer is, potentially, yes. But with some careful caveats.

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Human Behaviour, Topical / MiscSonia Diabmoney, happiness, human behaviour, income
Kindness is a Tool of Persuasion
Kindness is a Tool of Persuasion

As much as the Greek Gods were divine, they also demonstrated very human traits. Case in point: Their relationship with humans wasn’t unconditional and all-loving. It was reciprocal.

Reciprocation is a known principle of influence today. In Robert Cialdini’s classic work, Influence, he describes it as one of the most pervasive human behaviours across history.

Reciprocity is at work when someone does us a favour or kindness, and we feel obliged to give something back in return.

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Leadership and Influence, Human BehaviourSonia DiabReciprocity, consumer behaviour, persuasion
Does Your Personality Change Over Time?
Does Your Personality Change Over Time?

The brain and human behaviour are wonderful things because we are always learning more about them. They’re a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma, with fields from evolutionary psychology to biology to behavioural science all striving to uncover their secrets.

For a very long time, the commonly held view was that personality doesn’t change. I remember reading the long-standing theory that personality ‘locked in’ at around 30 years old. After 30, you were done. Finito.

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Human Behaviour, Topical / MiscSonia DiabPersonality, human behaviour
What Your Smartphone Habits Reveal About Your Personality, According to Science
What Your Smartphone Habits Reveal About Your Personality, According to Science

Our phones have become intrinsically connected to our identities. According to an analysis by dscout, the average person touches their phone 2,617 times every single day. For most people, it’s never more than a few feet away. It’s part of who we are now.

Although an analysis of someone’s smartphone provides insight into their personal story, it turns out there are elements we can use to predict personality, too…

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Productivity, Human BehaviourSonia Diabphone, PersonalityComment
Can You Be a Loner Without Being Lonely?
Can You Be a Loner Without Being Lonely?

Many friendships have ended or changed during this time. Some have been torn apart by opposing political or pandemic views. Financial concerns would have slowly edged out others. And the friends who were really just acquaintances you mistook for meaningful, perhaps because the fun activities you did together created a veil of depth and enjoyment… well they’d be standing out pretty starkly when there’s just a zoom screen, and no hobby masking your blatant incongruity.

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Philosophy, Human BehaviourSonia Diabfriendship, solitude, loneliness
How the Paradox of Choice is Wasting Your Time
How the Paradox of Choice is Wasting Your Time

The paradox of choice is a paradox because we assume that more choices are necessarily a good thing. If I’m a business and I offer more options to my customers, I’d anticipate better sales results. If you’re staying in on a Friday night and want to watch a movie, you’d think that having thousands of movies available through streaming services would be a convenient and helpful service.

And while having choices can be empowering, having too many choices can be a hindrance.

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Human Behaviour, Leadership and InfluenceSonia Diabdecision making, paradox of choice, consumer behaviour, psychology
On Productivity: Decision Fatigue and Crappy Afternoons
On Productivity: Decision Fatigue and Crappy Afternoons

We have a limited amount of energy for decision-making, so minimising the peripheral choices we would otherwise add to the mix can help us focus on more important things. Otherwise, by the time evening rolls around, we end up irritable and exhausted. You could find yourself at the tail end of the workday, making dumb concessions in a negotiation. Or, you could be so mentally drained that you give in to your impulse to order too much junk food from UberEats. Lowered inhibitions and stupid choices because our brain is done and over it.

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Productivity, Leadership and Influence, Human BehaviourSonia Diabproductivity, decision making, chronotypes
Narcissism and Plato's Reluctant Politician
Narcissism and Plato's Reluctant Politician

Plato’s idea of the reluctant politician transcends history: That the best politicians are reluctant ones, who don’t serve their community for the honour, glory or fun of it. They don’t want limelight or power. They serve because they know if they weren’t to do it, they could end up being ruled by a buffoon. (Not Plato’s words, but I think it’s pretty accurate).

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Topical / Misc, Human Behaviour, PhilosophySonia DiabPolitics, philosophy, plato, narcissism
That's Not Funny... Or is it? The Dynamics of Laughter and Humour
That's Not Funny... Or is it? The Dynamics of Laughter and Humour

Research suggests we can gain psychological and physical benefits from laughter and humour. There are theories that laughter can help reduce stress; decreasing cortisol levels and other elements associated with the stress response, and releasing endorphins. We now even have services providing therapies like “laugher yoga”, which uses simulated laughter to try and enhance participants’ moods.

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Topical / Misc, Human Behaviour, PhilosophySonia DiabHumour