Ever hear “I’m not sure I can reach my ideal weight and lose these extra pounds.” But outcomes don’t have to be based on experience grounds, even though the responses may be that you haven’t had lasting success in the past. Our tendency is to rely on previous results, as […]

“Impact Bias”

I can see a movie numerous times… and with each viewing… I’ll see a detail I missed the first time around… We’re all victims of Change Blindness… a visual phenomenon… where exploitations from many folks… including movie directors… and advertisers abound. Change Blindness is a natural brain bias… not a […]

“Change Blindness”

Most folks associate courage with fear… but courage is more than that… it’s related to making decisions and taking actions when risk is near… Courage has a special spot in our brain… It sits in our Frontal Lobe in a region called the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex… and is activated […]

“Courage”

When we’re given a present our total focus is to survey the box’s weight and size.  Details signal possibilities on how we may solve the secret sitting just before our wondering eyes.  We remind our ego “Size gives little measure of what value the gift giver thinks of us… not […]

“Present When Present”

Individuals, especially in the mass media, are increasingly hedging what they’re about to say… with a prefacing text.  The habit of guests exclaiming preemptive explanations such as look..! or listen…! prior to answering questions… rarely advances what’s coming next.  When I was growing up… the most common prefacing behavior was […]

“Prefacing a Conversation”

Expressions such as “Think outside the box”…”we’re boxed in”… or even forms that say… “Stay inside the box”… are everywhere. Folks commonly want the same things,  Good health, happiness, safety, and consistency, all outcomes that boxed in thinking is imagined to bring. Boxed in thinking forces our brain’s harsh inner […]

“Boxed In”

There’s an out of control verbal epidemic gripping  media commentators urging them to answer posed questions… with an opening statement of “look” or “listen…”  This is a public speaking verbal tic behavior, where we see and hear broadcast news analysis… conveyed in ways that make respect and cordiality seem missing… […]

“Verbal Tics”

Group Think and Band Wagon Effect are often confused… Groupthink leverages individuals into consensus by replacing critical thinking with hasty irrational decision-making that’s excused. Adopting naïveté, Bandwagon effect describes throwing ourselves into whatever’s trending without a clue, because it’s the popular thing to do. Groupthink is a simmering collection of […]

“Groupthink”

Ever wonder why do some people think they’re know-it-alls? This behavior is called illusory superiority… sometimes referred to as above average effect or smart-aleck syndrome. It happens when a positive illusion, controls one’s overestimation of abilities and underestimation of negative qualities in relation to others.  Illusory superiority brings with it […]

“Illusory Superiority”

In explaining the power of the phrase… I can… when I think I can… would reflect the strength of persuasion from what we see, hear, read or even tell ourselves primarily results from a power of suggestion plan. Our beliefs are framed by childhood influences, media impressions, dogmatic incantations, subliminal […]

“Power of Suggestion”

I’ve noticed when folks face scores of selections, they fear making a wrongful pick!  That’s classic analysis paralysis behavior… Actionable skill… compromised by “over thinking” a bevy of alternatives… that literally stress our minds and make our body sick… Analysis paralysis follows believing there’s overwhelming significance… in making a choice […]

“Analysis paralysis”

We just can’t resist… when a traffic accident unfolds before us… to see what’s happening, and allow a gripping, snooping, curiosity to scrutinize the fuss. Rubbernecking is the irresistible behavior to gawk with a very graphic acrobatic straining of our neck. The purpose is to get the best view of […]

“Rubbernecking”

What a wonderful time we had at the annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival!  Thanks to ALL those that came out to enjoy the festival.  Having the opportunity to  meet some of our listeners, and meeting new ones, made the day extremely enjoyable and a memory we will have […]

Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival!

Why aren’t strong emotions, ardent convictions, and descriptive details enough to guarantee that a memory actually happened as we believe?  Remembering references no dependable brain file folder or video image archive we can retrieve. Each jogged memory continually reconstructs past events bit by bit.  Just as jugglers constantly set their […]

“False Memory”

“Oh shoot, now why did I come into this room? I can’t remember and I am getting more behind!”  That happens to us all, we’re in one room and headed into another, only to find our search reason, has suddenly vanished from our mind. This forgetful moment leaves us so […]

“Event Boundary”

“Why Judge Brett Kavanaugh Hasn’t Caved” After two days of US Senate Confirmation Hearings regarding Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the US Supreme Court, there has been no evidence of the Judge caving to vitriol from a mean spirited, and clearly orchestrated negative audience, or the grilling from a seasoned […]

“Why Judge Brett Kavanaugh Hasn’t Caved”

Stress sure turns tummies into anatomical gymnasts, with insides all entwined! “Butterfly” flutter and flapping feelings, often have dreaded cramps following closely behind. Our gut holds more neurons than our spinal cord, allowing both head and gut, have their own brains on board. Both absolutely receive impulses, record experiences and […]

“Gut Feelings”

Summer’s ending, school’s beginning and “early Fall” means many students fear going back to school.  Avoidance, refusal, and worse case fear of school commonly dominate early fall conversations as a rule. Most students greet summer’s end with sad resignation and back- to-school jitters. But one in ten also finds the […]

“Fear of School”

I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ice cream.  We scream for flavor… but icy pain is not what we savor.  Few phenomena scrunch our faces like a Brain freeze, or sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia… a science term not said with ease. Sphenopalatine ganglions are nerve bundles controlling blood nourishing our […]

“Brain Freeze”

I’m not very happy but I won’t say a word… Her behavior is disrespectful and aggressive but it’s OK. I’ll let it go I don’t want to cause any drama. It’s not worth addressing.  Besides, no one ever does anything about her behavior anyway – just bad khama. We’ve been […]

“Avoidance Culture”