10 Most Shocking Psychological Facts about Humans
Psychology has long been one of the most popular social sciences, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. With some basic psychological facts under your belt, you can better understand the psychology of human behavior and react accordingly, whether you’re negotiating a business deal or trying to convince your kids to do their homework! Here are 10 shocking psychological facts about humans
1) We can’t help being lazy
Even if you wanted to, you might not be able to break your bad habits. Research published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that our brains have limits when it comes to self-control and resisting temptation. As a result, we're all susceptible to behaviors that are immediately rewarding—like watching TV or eating fatty foods—over activities that are long-term goals—like exercising or saving money. But not all hope lost! Simple changes can help us use our limited self-control for good by working around these neurological limitations. For example, having a set bedtime can help make sure you’re getting enough sleep, which improves your ability to resist temptations during the day, and setting up automatic savings transfers can keep you from spending cash on impulse purchases. The best part? These tactics aren't just for adults. Teaching kids about self-control strategies early will give them tools they need to fight against impulsive behavior later in life. So teach your kids some smart ways to get out of their own way—and let them know it's okay to ask for help when they need it.
2) Our brain sees everything in two colors only
After taking a test on color perception, people’s brains were scanned. They found that our brain can only see two colors at once, everything else is in black and white. This does not include special cases of red and green, for example. When we say we are seeing in color, we are actually confusing our perception of two separate images in order to achieve an image with more color than if it were black and white. So technically, we all have trouble seeing anything except black and white . We never look into each other's eyes: New research suggests that when making eye contact with someone else, humans tend to think that he or she is looking at them; however, it is more likely that they are focusing somewhere around their upper lip area. The reason why we believe that others are looking directly into our eyes could be because of how important eye contact is socially as well as culturally. The human body doesn't stop growing until age 21: Human bones continue to grow until age 21, which means you're probably taller now than you will be later in life. Your ears continue to grow, too! It's also interesting to note that your nose and ears never stop growing throughout your entire life! If you don't use it, you lose it: The phrase use it or lose it isn't just applicable to physical activity—our brains work exactly the same way. In fact, researchers discovered that when adults stopped practicing skills like playing piano or juggling over time, certain areas of their brain would shrink while others grew larger!
3) People say we are good at math but our brain isn’t made for it
According to a new study, we are actually less good at math than chimpanzees. It’s not that chimps are great at math — their brains aren’t made for it — but they do show more brain activity while trying to solve simple math problems. For example, when a chimp solves addition problems involving two numbers (1+1 = 2; 1+2 = 3), it lights up areas in its brain related to memory and attention. In humans, those same areas don’t get much use during these tasks. Our brains must think about every problem in an entirely different way from our hairy cousins'. So much for being good at math! This is one of those shocking psychological facts about humans that you won’t be able to believe until you see it with your own eyes. If you want to learn more, check out The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Math is Wrong by Alex Bellos. It's a fascinating read!
Another interesting fact is that people who come from wealthier backgrounds perform better on intelligence tests than people who grow up poor. But even though IQ isn’t fixed early in life and can rise or fall depending on environmental factors, IQ scores predict children’s later income levels as adults only if they come from lower-class backgrounds. That means people who grew up rich stay rich (but richer environments might make you smarter). Of course there are plenty of other factors affecting wealth beyond IQ, but all things considered, people born into poverty have low incomes because they were born into poverty—not because their parents failed to provide them with stimulating environments as children.
4) We are bad at keeping secrets
We’re not good at keeping secrets, and we often let slip more than we should. While lying is much easier to remember, even professional poker players are terrible at hiding their emotions while they play and have been known to talk themselves into big mistakes because of it. It’s important that you learn to tell if someone is telling a lie, but don’t assume that you can figure out what they’re feeling if they seem nervous or evasive.
Here’s another psychology fact for you: as humans, we absolutely cannot stand holding onto something that no one else knows. Researchers found that a group of subjects who were told they were part of an experiment designed to test deception weren’t very good at lies; in fact, two-thirds admitted there was some part of their story wasn’t true after only three questions.
5) The beauty is in the eye of the beholder
This phrase doesn’t just make for a good pickup line; it also turns out to be an accurate psychological truth. Turns out, most of us rate ourselves as below average when it comes to attractiveness. In other words, our judgments of beauty aren’t very accurate at all. Also, instead of telling yourself you’re beautiful every day (like you should!), be sure to tell others how great they look! It will help boost their self-esteem and happiness—and yours in turn. Even if your compliment is sincere, studies show that people are more likely to believe compliments from others than themselves. But regardless of who gives it, if someone hears something nice enough times they start believing it's true. So keep complimenting those around you—it may actually have an effect on them!
6) Beautiful people have an easier life
The good-looking among us have an easier time of things—it’s just a fact. This isn’t to say that all attractive people have it made in life, but those with pleasing physiques tend to be treated better and are more likely to earn more money. Looks definitely do matter when it comes to first impressions and being perceived as competent, trustworthy, healthy and honest. A great smile can even help you close a sale or get you promoted at work. Of course, having beauty on your side doesn’t guarantee anything in life, but if you think of these facts before treating someone else poorly because they aren’t perfect 10s, your life will be much better for it.
7) We are more aware of what we don’t have than what we do
People tend to view their current situations as being worse than they actually are. If a glass is half full, most people will say it’s half empty. In fact, research shows that we are more aware of what we don’t have than what we do. For example, if you had $100 in your bank account and were told that someone just deposited $10 into it, you would probably feel pretty good about your finances. But if you thought about how much money was still out there—the $90 you didn’t have—you might start feeling like things aren’t so great after all. The same holds true for relationships: When asked to list their strengths and weaknesses, people typically overestimate their weaknesses while underestimating their strengths. This could be because we pay more attention to our shortcomings than our accomplishments; or perhaps it's because we're motivated by a fear of failure (or success). Whatever the reason, it's important to remember that everything isn't always as bad or as good as it seems. You might not realize how well off you really are until you stop comparing yourself with others.
8) Objects moving closer move faster to us
This can be difficult to wrap your head around. But if you think of how an object moves in space—the distance and time it takes to travel between two points—it makes sense that moving something closer means it has less space to cover, so we see it as moving faster. The same is true for sounds: If a train is approaching you and its horn is blaring, it seems like it’s getting louder faster than one that’s already passed by. In reality, they’re both just getting louder at equal rates. It’s just our brains playing tricks on us again! A red light looks redder when we’re late: Psychologists call it Fechner color constancy, but most people refer to it as red-light syndrome. Because red light often means stop, drivers are likely more sensitive to changes in color when looking at traffic lights. One study found that when driving behind a car with yellow lights, participants perceived them as being 25 percent more red (and therefore less safe) than those behind cars with white lights. So while our brain thinks that looks different; I should slow down, instead of that looks different; I should speed up, many people drive right through those intersections or change lanes right before turning.
9) Aggressive women often wear red lipstick
If you want to seem more assertive, psychologists suggest wearing red lipstick—the color is associated with status and dominance. Women in particular are drawn to red lipstick because they associate it with feelings of femininity and power. Researchers found that women were more likely to take a risk when wearing red lipstick compared to other colors. Red makes men feel happy: Men like both seeing and feeling red because of an association with excitement and sexuality. In one study, researchers asked men which color they preferred on a woman's body. It turned out that most men preferred red clothing over all others (blue came in second). In another study, researchers asked participants to hold either a warm or cold drink while viewing images of various colors. They then asked them how they felt about each image. The results showed that men who held warm drinks liked cool-colored images better than those who held cold drinks; meanwhile, women's preferences didn't change based on temperature.
10) The way you hold your drink says a lot about you
There’s something so natural about holding a drink in your hand. But did you know that how you hold your cup (and even more so, your glass of wine) says a lot about your personality? Let’s take a look at how to read someone by their beverage of choice Beware of quiet people - Benjamin Franklin: If you find yourself making small talk with an introvert and they don't speak much, it might be because they're really paying attention to what you're saying. In fact, some studies show that people who are naturally quiet actually process information better than extroverts do! They might seem like they're not listening but they are—they just have a tendency to let other people do most of the talking. The good news is that's probably why they invited you over for dinner or drinks in the first place... To appear smarter, pay close attention to details: You've probably heard before that when you make eye contact with someone while speaking, it makes them feel listened to and valued. Turns out there's another way to get others' undivided attention: focus on little details.
