Comments for You Are Not So Smart

Comment on The Benjamin Franklin Effect by Srslysuck It

Srslysuck It — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:04:41 +0000

Just the worst article ever. Had my interest piqued after the first paragraph, but then just went on and on with awful analogies and terribly put together lists. I genuinely want to know more about the phenomenon, but couldn’t get through your article it was THE WORST. Figure it out boss.

Comment on Procrastination by New, new Year’s Resolutions | Mission Succexy

New, new Year’s Resolutions | Mission Succexy — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:52:27 +0000

[...] article is to expect the minimum from myself, and to set realistic resolutions. Another point: as David McRaney writes in his blog (and it’s a damn good blog too) “When you’re planning ahead, your better angels point to [...]

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by KT

KT — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:44:53 +0000

No, I think that is intrinsic — your motivation is coming from your own perception of your own competence. I get a sense of soaring satisfaction when I play Moonlight Sonata because I always thought I was a crap pianist. I AM a crap pianist — a five year old could play better than me — but I get the joy of knowing that I’ve learned to play something and the satisfaction of playing it for my friends.

A lot of careers are like that too — at each new stage you demonstrate skills and competence and you learn as you go along, and that’s what gives people the satisfaction.

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by KT

KT — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:38:46 +0000

I think one of the reasons so many people in my field choose to work ridiculously long hours outside of what they are paid for is to “prove” to themselves (and everyone else) that they are doing the work because they love it. Unfortunately that then becomes the norm, and those few people who aren’t able or prepared to put long hours in are kind of sneered at behind their backs. Like they aren’t doing it for the “right” reasons. It becomes a bit of a pathetic cult, if you ask me.

It’s an interesting point about spontaneous reward becoming a greater symbol of success than financial reward. More and more people seem to be motivated specifically by the hope of winning certain awards in my field, and hitting certain career milestones to prove they are valued. I wonder if the perceived worth of those awards and milestones have mushroomed up everywhere BECAUSE of all those trite maxims about following your dreams etc. If the maxims went something like, “do what you love… even if you never get a scrap of recognition from anyone, anywhere, ever,” I think the uptake rate of certain degree courses and volunteer schemes would drop sharply.

That would be an interesting social experiment, right there.

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by whaaa!!!

whaaa!!! — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:45:55 +0000

What if wanting to be good at something is your motivation? When you know you are competent to pursue in the career you want or a task, you start to enjoy what you do because you have the skills to do whatever. Is that extrinsic?

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by Caela

Caela — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:00:51 +0000

Geez, if I would get the equivalent of 150000$ a year for a non-dangerous, no-brain, hands-only job with regulated 40h weeks, I would take it instantely. I expect to be met by others with the high-status corresponding to that amount of money, of course.
I would drive to my job in a sports car. My whole equipment would be very professional, and I knew I would make a great contribution to mankind, since everybody hates shitty toilets and feels good on a clean one. Giving other people that feeling of luxury and that they really can relax in one of their daily most intimite moments, that’s just great.
It is one of those small daily things that really count.
And best of all, I would have all of my time to think about MY projects and things interesting to me, all my freetime and all my working time. There would be no overtime and no thinking all evening and before I go to bed, even while I brush my teeth: “Did I clean that one toilet well enough?”, because the very next day I could just clean it again.

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by Chris Abbey

Chris Abbey — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:46:03 +0000

I think a lot of people are getting confused. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with getting paid for what you love to do, it’s the idea of the motivation. For instance, I love what I do, and I don’t really give a damn (or, for that matter, even know) how much I get paid. The pay has never been part of the mental reward structure. If you work at something you love, you have to divorce the extrinsic rewards and the intrinsic.

When I was about thirteen, I finished a chore, and my step-father handed me ten dollars. I asked, “Why didn’t you say thank you?” and he said, “Take the ten dollars. In the real world, that’s all the thanks you’re ever going to get.” I refused to believe the world was like that, and I’ve never let it be like that for me. So all of my value is in what I do. (And I always make it a point to say thank you to anyone I see doing a good job.)

Am I the one misreading this study?

Comment on The Overjustification Effect by whaaa!!!

whaaa!!! — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:28:14 +0000

I am confused. What if “great work” to you is the career that you are interested in but you know you cannot get because you are not capable? What if loving what you do is in the career that you want and that is great work to you. That is, in the field of profession, you are interested in you are able to do “things”. So why is doing what you love a bad thing?

Comment on Learned Helplessness by We Have Lost The War On Poverty–What Do We Do Now ? | Right Wing Granny

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:37:00 +0000

[...] excellent example of this was presented in a study in 1976 by Langer and Rodin. It showed the effects of nursing home patients who were given responsibility and choices as [...]

Comment on Catharsis by Ripsj

Ripsj — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:30:36 +0000

It seems that this entire argument is reliant upon the assumption that catharsis = venting = aggressive response. Talking about emotions and frustrations calmly is considered catharsis, therefore to do this would not reinforce aggressive behaviour. It could be suggested that those who took part in the study were simply primed for aggression in a physiological sense, not necessarily a psychological one.

Comment on Fanboyism and Brand Loyalty by Steven Tinkler

Steven Tinkler — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:25:18 +0000

Surely the biggest sell out is the choice of iPad over the Galaxy Tab. In today’s affluent society we are faced with no just peer pressure, but with Brand and Culture pressure to buy certain articles. http://www.sellmycar.ltd.uk

Comment on About by Alana Hope Bowman

Alana Hope Bowman — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:19:51 +0000

“This blog is the shit.” That is the saying. “X is the shit.” Not “X is the fuck.” Carry on.

Comment on The Sunk Cost Fallacy by Fallacies of the Software Developer I (Sunken Cost) ‹ Perilled

Fallacies of the Software Developer I (Sunken Cost) ‹ Perilled — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:26:37 +0000

[...] really love some of the examples on You Are Not So Smart‘s article. It talks a lot about how the sunken cost fallacy and loss aversion keeps games [...]

Comment on Learned Helplessness by The Effects of Dependency Programs: More Harm than Help | Bid Government – Resources and Bidding Information

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:12:15 +0000

[...] Many people assume if you are in a bad situation you will do anything to escape it. However, the truth is, “If you feel like you aren’t in control of your destiny, you will give up and accept whatever situation you are in”. It’s the very definition of a psychological effect proven in the 1960’s by scientist Martin Seligman, called “learned helplessness”. [...]

Comment on Learned Helplessness by The Effects of Dependency Programs: More Harm than Help | allfiredupmedia.com

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:18:44 +0000

Comment on Learned Helplessness by The Effects of Dependency Programs: More Harm than Help « News « @griffinrc

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:24:06 +0000

Comment on The Benjamin Franklin Effect by Mark Wo

Mark Wo — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:25:45 +0000

I incorrectly thought the entire scroll down bar was proportional to the post, (thankfully, it was mostly comments). however this post was so well thought and well written, I was considering how many days it would take me to read instead of closing the window.

Comment on The Sunk Cost Fallacy by Susie

Susie — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:06:57 +0000

Some gyms in Europe use this positively. A membership costs nothing if you attend regularly; miss a week, and you have to pay.

Comment on The Benjamin Franklin Effect by Actions Determine Attitude « Take Away Points

Actions Determine Attitude « Take Away Points — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:20:57 +0000

[...] Crux of The Benjamin Franklin Effect by David McRaney: [...]

Comment on Procrastination by Sistema de facturacion

Sistema de facturacion — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:21:01 +0000

[...]the time to study or stop by the content material or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[...]