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Introduction
Do traditional self-help books really work? Don't fret if most of them have not really worked for you - especially the ones that focus on the execution of long-term plans. Perhaps you need something fast and easy! This practical book offers interesting and quick life hacks - which’ll work in less than a minute, hence the title 59 seconds!
59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot (2010) by Richard Wiseman is a product of years of research done by psychologists - Richard finds a way to use the research to create quick psychology hacks that can improve your life. The lessons focus on thinking a little less and changing a lot in less than a minute.
Richard Wiseman is a popular experimental psychologist and professor who has published over ten books such as The Luck Factor (2003), Quirkology (2007), Rip it Up (2012) and so on. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. The well-respected psychologist has given keynotes for organisations and big brands like The Royal Society, Amazon and Google. He works as a Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, the United Kingdom.
We’ve curated some select hacks from the book for you - from ways to spot a liar to boosting your creativity through some plant therapy!
But let's begin with simple hacks that can help you nail an interview in no time!
Likeability is crucial to crack a job interview!
Out of all life hacks, cracking an interview is especially relevant. Giving an interview is worrisome, isn’t it? While preparing for an interview, most of us focus on our qualifications and skills. Although getting an extra credit or a certified skill is great, clearing an interview greatly depends on a factor you might not be aware of - your likability! Is it easy to make yourself more likeable to an interviewer? Let's look at tips that can improve your likability. Well, let's start with positive body language. Do you know that positive body language creates the necessary first impression? To understand this more, let us discuss two types of body languages - open and closed body language! The idea is to display open body language in order to improve your chances of being liked by the interviewer. Suppose you meet a childhood friend after years - you’d probably use good eye contact, have a big wide smile, nod, and have a confident stance - these are all indicators of open body language. The researchers at The University of Washington and the University of Florida observed more than 100 former students while they attended interviews. Researchers noticed that most students who cleared the interview secured the interviewer's attention in the beginning. Traits like displaying a genuine smile and discussing random interesting topics can enhance your likability. Small talk and showing genuine interest and knowledge in your employer’s company also help. On the other hand, things like hands on hips, crossed arms, sweating and avoiding eye contact are just some examples of closed body language - and should be avoided. Disclosing your weaknesses or vulnerability is another approach to gain favour from an evaluator. A team of psychologists from Duke University conducted research on a group of people in the 1970s. The participants listened to two recordings of a person who was narrating his life story. In the first recording, the person revealed his vulnerabilities or mistakes early on. In the second tape, the person waited till the end to disclose confession. Interestingly, the person from the first tape was rated as more likeable by the participants as he initially expressed vulnerability or mistake. Taking a cue from this experiment, Wiseman suggests the disclosure of positive traits in the end. It shows that you don't mind talking about your positive qualities naturally. Lastly, do not worry about making a mistake. Sometimes, you...
Our imperfections are what make us human. Always abstain from gossiping to ace your social life.
Likability also plays an important role in the dynamics of friendship and relationships.Now, have you ever noticed how we try to hide our vulnerabilities and how we try to present our perfect image in front of others and the world. But we all are humans. We make mistakes. And imperfection is what makes us human! That’s why showing your vulnerabilities makes you more likeable. As long as you are competent, that is. An average person is likely to be seen as flawed and not that appealing.Perfection, on the other hand, is not always a desirable quality and can seem kind of off-putting to most people. Just think about Keneddy's handling of the Bay of Pigs Invasion attempt in Cuba. While the plan failed to deliver positive results, it led to an increase in likability for the former President. This was because he accepted his mistake/miscalculation. And the failure made him look like an ordinary human who is prone to making mistakes. So, the imperfection is the new perfection, today and always!Wiseman conducted a little experiment of his own. He invited two actors to show how a new type of blender works. The first actor knew what she was doing and appeared acquainted with the task. The second actress was not prepared and did not know what she was doing. She even botched the process slightly. Interestingly, when it comes to the demonstration part, participants were more impressed by the first actress. But guess who became the preferred choice for likeability? The flawed second one won hearts when it comes to likability as her honest mistakes displayed a human side. So, likability is not only about being an image of perfection, it is about being a flawed human at times.Coming to the next point, what do you think are the chances of likability of a person who's always gossiping? Very low indeed! Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a study. The researchers asked the volunteers to see a video of actors who spoke badly about a third person. Not only did the volunteers in the study find the gossiping behaviour of actors as negative, they actually started to think that the actors were the ones who possessed the nasty attributes they were attributing to others.Avoid gossip as much as you can no matter how enjoyable it may seem. It may often feel great to bring someone down. But, eventually, it will...
Language is an essential building block in maintaining a relationship!
Relationships can make or break your life - so only makes sense a hack is dedicated towards them. We all possess unique, sometimes conflicting individual traits and this can often lead to a mismatch. But, should we cut and run the moment we encounter a disagreement in a relationship? Remember, attributes like mutual respect and compromise are the building blocks of any relationship. And people in long-term relationships choose to look beyond mundane differences and small disagreements. Varied dynamics of relationships are difficult to pinpoint. But language plays a key role in building a rock-solid foundation in a relationship. So, pay attention to the words that come out of your mouth. Always pay attention! Psychologist John Gottman researched the longevity of relationships and discovered the role of language in a relationship. Gottman concluded that people who chose to stay in long-term relationships showered each other with more positive comments than negative ones (the ratio is 1 to 5). So, a happily ever after is possible when you give at least five positive remarks/words of appreciation for every negative comment or criticism. Another intriguing study by psychologists at the University of Texas assessed the impact of daily journaling on the state of a relationship. The researchers created two separate groups and asked the first group to write down their feelings and thoughts on their relationship for three days. The second group was asked to just write about their daily activities. Result? Almost 77% of people in the first groups stayed together after three months. The percentage stood at 52% for the second group. So, writing down brings clarity and enhances the lastingness of a relationship. Hence, set aside some time regularly, perhaps even daily to jot down your thoughts and feelings about the relationship.Do you ever wonder about the impact of the super word 'but' in the dynamics of a partnership? Psychologists Sandra Murray and John Holmes studied the behaviour of couples for one year. They asked the participants to identify their partner's positive and negative qualities. Psychologists discovered that people who qualified a negative characteristic of their partner with a 'but' (a positive personality trait) led to healthier partnerships. For example, a wife might think my husband might be a terrible cook but extremely supportive. This’ll enable her to tone down the negativity with some positivity.So, looking beyond small differences and choosing to look beyond the shortcomings in a partner...
Don't just visualise, make a reliable plan for a successful life!
There are too many takers for the transformative power of 'visualisation'. But does it really work in isolation? While the self-help industry and spiritualists might make assurances about the impact of visualisation, scientific studies paint a slightly different picture. For instance, researchers at the University of California requested school students to do a quick exercise visualising positive outcomes in their lives for a few days. Another set of participants was told not to indulge in visualisation. Unfortunately, students who fantasised did not score better or achieve any outstanding results in class just by indulging in visualisation. In fact, their performance dropped compared to those who didn’t visualise. The idea is that just fantasising about an optimistic future does not bring positive outcomes. Indulging in imagination might mean you are unprepared for minor setbacks in life. So, what works even better than just wishing for success? Formulating a foolproof plan for success is the perfect answer. Planning is the key that will guarantee sure shot success. Wiseman followed around 5000 participants in a study about their individual life goals. Not surprisingly, those with a plan achieved their goals. Even achieving small goals like getting fitter requires appropriate planning. An elaborate plan works even better. Just take some time to create achievable small sub-goals. For example, if your ultimate objective is to achieve fitness, start with a three-week regimen of brisk walking followed by three weeks of running and gradually increase your endurance and stamina. We all know the future of the dude who decided to directly run on the first day - he did not run again for a long time! The idea is to make achievable mini goals, boost your dopamine levels after a mini triumph, and gradually aim for higher goals, increasing your pace to work towards cardiovascular fitness. Still unable to wake up for that morning walk? Take help from near and dear ones and include them in your daily goals. For instance, ask a friend or relative to join you for the morning walk initially. The right motivation and company will eventually make you self-reliant and you will get in the habit of waking up early to exercise. Multiple psychologists suggest this strategy and believe that a person is more likely to follow through with a goal when he/she shares it with others for more motivation. While visualisation might act as a necessary motivation, foolproof planning and...
Always pay attention to the brighter side of any situation!
It is true that pain and suffering are inevitable in life. Loss of a loved one, financial setback, or just routine level stress, you name it. Most of us bear the pain by distracting ourselves from the issue at hand- overeating, binge-watching, or any other pleasure-seeking activity. But a distraction will only distract you for a while. It will not teach you to deal with the issue in a better way next time. Nor will it reduce your stress and pain in the long-term.
Perhaps, take a different approach this time and try to deal with a problem by looking at the lessons you learnt/benefited from the crisis. Is there a silver lining in the clouds? There almost always is! Temporary agitation might make it hard initially to find the benefits from a problem, but sticking by the approach can transform your life. Learning from a past mistake or a situation will help you to cope with the situation in a better manner in the future.
Researchers at The University of Miami conducted a study to prove this point. Investigators selected around 300 students and asked them to remember a particularly hurtful event in their lives. A few people were asked to focus on the negative impact of the crisis. Another group was asked to concentrate on the positive impact of the situation. The results showed that the group who focused on the positive impact of a bad experience, like learning to be wise or thoughtful, dealt better with stress and unhappiness.
Similarly, extreme happenings also carry the potential to transform us positively. For example, researchers believe that people who heal from a serious health condition display traits like bravery, sense of humour and fairness. Try this in your life and see if a change in perspective about a seemingly bad situation might help you bring more calmness and bravery into your life.
Brainstorming enhances creativity - true or false? Placing plants in the office will surely add a creative vibe in the workplace!
What are your thoughts on brainstorming sessions in the office? Do you think brainstorming enhances creativity? Most people think that brainstorming within a group generates multiple creative ideas.It is an advertising guru, Alex Osborn’s claims made in the 1940s that made a connection of brainstorming to creativity. But, the above assumption is not completely true - brainstorming within a team won’t always lead to an increase in creativity! The overwhelming scientific research on brainstorming in a group does not support this claim. On the contrary, most scientific studies show that brainstorming within a group might lead to the suppression of creative ideas. A team of researchers at the University of Kent discovered that the students who worked independently came up with more and better creative ideas in comparison to the ones working in groups. The explanation behind this process is called diffused responsibility - people take less responsibility while in a group and more when the onus of success or failure is upon their shoulders at an individual level. In fact, there are multiple ways to enhance your creativity. For example, taking help from the subconscious mind is quite effective in enriching creativity. Oh yes, that's a thing! The painter Salvador Dali experimented to produce better creative ideas. He used to place a glass on the floor and would lie on a couch with a spoon in his hands. Once he slowly fell asleep, the spoon was bound to fall, waking him up from a subconscious state due to the sound. And that's the moment he used to start sketching random bizarre images that had just piled up in his subconscious mind during half-sleep. The power of the unconscious mind in creativity is incredible. If you can learn how not to suppress it with the conscious mind, you'll get the ultimate results. A team of psychologists from the University of Amsterdam concluded that creativity is better if your conscious mind is in a state of distraction. One way to distract your mind is by engaging in a puzzle or crossword. This will give your unconscious mind space and time to come up with creative thoughts Next up, let's look at another interesting approach that helps with creativity. This is probably something that you'll love to bring into your workspace - it's good for both health and mind! Adding greenery to your surroundings is a brilliant strategy to dramatically enhance your...
Become a human lie detector!
Who wouldn't like to become a human lie detector? It would save a lot of your time that you might waste while listening to habitual liars. Sounds cool, isn’t it? Well, Wiseman has come up with some interesting hacks that you can use to spot a liar. We tend to think that exaggerated stories woven by liars are crafted to hide something. But, there is no proof that a liar would be more worried than a person who's speaking the truth.Researchers at the University of Southampton conducted a study on students. They checked students' pulse rates before and after they were asked a few questions about their grades and achievements. Shockingly, more than 50% of students exaggerated their answers. And these students showed no noticeable changes in their pulse rate! In fact, many liars might easily make an eye connection while lying. So, there is no reason to believe that a liar may be more stressed or anxious while lying.So, how can you find out when a person is lying? Well, there are other known signs which might help you to spot a lie. For example, a person who’s lying will take too much time while answering a question, giving the impression of thinking too hard. But, why will a liar need to think hard?Let's look at an example. Imagine that a new neighbour's off-putting behaviour irks you. And you lied your way out of a get-together organised by her. Suppose a few days later you suddenly see her while crossing the street. She might ask you about the excuse you gave her to get out of the get-together. To answer correctly, your brain will need to retrace the lie you told. Also, you'll try to create a narrative that doesn't contradict what you said earlier. And that's the thinking-hard part that goes into the creation of a lie.Normally, when you answer a question truthfully, you just remember the facts. But, when ÿou try to tell an elaborate lie, the brain adopts a problem-solving methodology. Therefore, while telling a lie a person may use fewer gestures, take more time to respond and might be more reluctant to speak. Do you know that the use of an impersonal tone is another way to spot a lie? When crafting a lie, a person may become impersonal in order to distance himself from the lie. He might avoid using words like "I" or...
Chapter 10
Details coming soon.
Summary
When we think about self-improvement, we often envision an enormous task that will take months or years of dedication.59 Seconds offers useful insights and tips to improve your life in minutes, not months or years. The book touches upon various facets of life like creativity, likability, relationships and more and shows how you can improve upon each facet to lead a successful and fulfilling life. The scientific evidence behind the quick and quirky tips will surely bring positive transformation in your life.
