Psychologists answer the question "What's the one nagging thing you still don't understand about yourself?"

The British Psychological Society asked world's leading psychologists to reveal one nagging thing they still don't understand about themselves. Their answers (in 150 words or less) are a lot of fun to read.

Sue Blackmore says she is still fooled by the idea that she has a "soul, a spirit, a mystical entity."

Paul Broks has gone from asking himself the "preoccupying question, What am I? to another, What should I do?"

David Buss is surprised that he succumbs to "well-documented psychological biases, even though I'm acutely aware of these biases," such as "believing that I will be happy for a long time after some accomplishment (e.g. publishing a new book), when in fact the happiness dissipates more quickly than anticipated."

Robert Cialdini says his "most nagging error" is overcommitting. "With that threshold crossed, I've no longer had the time or patience to plan, think, or toil hard enough to be proud of the resultant work."

Stephen Kosslyn asks, "Why am I a Satiator in some cases, and an Addict in others?"

Paul Rozin says, "Every night, I bring home a pile of work to do in the evening and early morning. I have been doing this for over 50 years. I always think I will actually get through all or most of it, and I almost never get even half done. But I keep expecting to accomplish it all. What a fool I am."

Norbert Schwarz says incidental feelings still affect him, even though he is aware of them. "Some 25 years ago Jerry Clore and I studied how gloomy weather makes one's whole life look bad -- unless one becomes aware of the weather and attributes one's gloomy mood to the gloomy sky, which eliminates the influence. You'd think I learned that lesson and now know how to deal with gloomy skies. I don't, they still get me."

The other answers are equally fascinating.

One nagging thing you still don't understand about yourself (Via Mind Hacks)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Dan

“believing that I will be happy for a long time after some accomplishment (e.g. publishing a new book), when in fact the happiness dissipates more quickly than anticipated.”

Brother, ain’t that the truth.
wonderphile

Why do I keep reading dozens of comments, when I know it’s ultimately a waste of time?

Oops, I did it again.
Apreche

Just recently I was pondering the same thing as many of these psychologists.

How come even though I know I’m basically being Jedi mind-tricked, I can’t overcome it?

For example, I’m buying a TV. I know I’m choosing a Samsung because of brand image, and I should probably get the cheaper no-name brand like Vizio or something. Even so, it’s difficult for me to actually change my decision. My gut just feels unhappy at the thought of the off-brand model despite my conscious brain knowing how stupid that is.
Aloisius

My nagging question? Why has my brain steadfastly refused to memorize the number of days in each month? 30 days has September, June, July, November and December…no, wait. 30 Days has September…April…damn.

I have long advocated making every month 30 days and creating a new 5 day month called “Vacatuary” where everyone goes on vacation. :)

Alas, the idea has yet to take off.
Anonymous

alosius that idea did take off with great success, a long time ago in the mayan calendar. the last five days were crazy party days if the my fifth grade history class is accurately remembered.
apoxia

I agree with Sue Blackmore’s understanding of the soul/self/spirit – whatever you want to call it. Although, unlike what Sue says, I have seen the brain in my skull (MRI), so I definitely know it is there. Still though, I feel there is something extra there that can’t be shown on the scan, an invisible little flame in the centre that makes me me. Of course I know that is ridiculous, and actually my frontal lobes are the location of me.
Anonymous

It seems like to assert that anything non-physical or metaphysical necessarily doesn’t exist *despite apprehensible evidence to the contrary* (i feel i have a soul no less than i feel hot if i go near a fire, as apparently also does Blackmore) is pretty unscientific. She doesn’t give any evidence for her disbelief in the soul, other than “I know there’s a brain inside my head.” Does anyone who believes in the soul actually believe that we DON’T have a brain?

(No snarky comments to the effect that only brainless people believe in the soul, please. It gets tiresome.)
nutbastard

why do i continue to trust and forgive untrustworthy people, even though i’m continually burned by them?

granted that this doesn’t happen very often, but i’m always inclined to be the better man and let things go, when really i ought to be letting those people go.
Anonymous

I prefer the Asimov version:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Season_Calendar

Which could then be given names based on the deck of a card for weeks, which I think would be cool.
apoxia

Anonymous #25

Unless you provide some evidence for the existance of the soul I think it is unlikely you will convince anyone of the soul’s existence except for those who are willing to believe in a soul simply because they want to believe.
sabik

The scientists say the air is ionized positively before a storm, and positive ions make us feel depressed. After the storm, air’s ionized negatively, with the opposite effect.

Interestingly, in that context both “effect” and “affect” would be correct, appropriate and mean much the same thing.
Hexatron

@ #7

i think that’s what sinks a lot of people, especially when the person that needs to be let go is their spouse or part of their family.

they stay loyal forever and never pull out of the swamp they’ve been dragged into.
scifijazznik

Why do you bake cookies and cook bacon? That one has troubled me for decades.
Anonymous

@YEP

The number of days in a month is easy. In Holland, every child learns to count those on the knuckles of your hand: if you’re right-handed:

Start by putting your right index finger on the knuckle of your left-hand pinky. That’s january. February is the dent in between the january knuckle and the next knuckle. March is the next knuckle..etc. After july, start over again at the pinky knuckle.. hey presto!
Knuckles are 31 day months, dents are 30 day months, except for february of course :)
http://www.blogspot.synergid.com Bob

Our nagging question, why do we get a distorted view of those know, when our view was clear when we first met?
StRevAlex

It makes sense that Susan Blackmore would wonder about a soul. Her most notable research is in the study of near-death and out-of-body experiences – always mystical areas.
zoetrope

i love this collection. it really levels these professionals out with us ‘normals’ and having that balance really allows empathy to garner.
Teller

“Why am I paying for this?”

And a tip of the Hatlo hat to scifijazznik
Anonymous

This just blew my mind. Paul Rozin is my psychology professor right now, so to randomly find his words in a post on Boing Boing is actually really crazy.
Daneel

@Aloisius

Dave Gorman had a similar thought a while back.

http://gormano.blogspot.com/2008/01/problem-solving.html
Aloisius

Dave Gorman had a similar thought a while back.

I thought about making them 28 days, but I thought having Vacatuary be the longest day of the year was pushing it. :)
neurolux

How much of my thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors is based on confabulation?
robulus

For example, I’m buying a TV. I know I’m choosing a Samsung because of brand image, and I should probably get the cheaper no-name brand like Vizio or something. Even so, it’s difficult for me to actually change my decision. My gut just feels unhappy at the thought of the off-brand model despite my conscious brain knowing how stupid that is.

Brand loyalty isn’t always stupid and robotic, particularly with complex high value items like TVs. Major brands are highly valued and it is in their interests to preserve the brand with quality product and customer service, no name brands can dump on the market and run.

On the other hand, if the two brands of toilet cleaner in your hands have identical ingredients, and one is 25% more expensive, you must fight the power!
sonipitts

@DAY VEXX

Next question– “If they can’t get their own blinkers off, how can they manage yours?”

The fact is, everyone has something like this that they never seem to get past. That doesn’t stop that person from being able to impart that wisdom (and a lot more) to someone who can get past it.

For example, I’m sure there are tons of English teachers who still have a few words they can never spell right, just as there are no doubt musicians who still stumble over certain riffs no matter how long they practice.
glittertrash

sabik, that is by far my favourite comment on this thread.
wolfiesma

It’s just such a funny question. We are blind to our blind spots. Asking someone to identify their blindspots seems kind of silly. I think the more telling answers would come if you asked the family and friends (enemies?) of the psychologist in question failed to understand about themselves.
Jesse in Japan

Why do people feel gloomy when it’s dark and cloudy out? I’ve always loved those kinds of cloudy days (you can feel the energy and the tension in the air) and actually find bright, sunny days to be more depressing.
Yep

My nagging question? Why has my brain steadfastly refused to memorize the number of days in each month? 30 days has September, June, July, November and December…no, wait. 30 Days has September…April…damn.
Chris Spurgeon

I love how many answers boil down to one basic concept: “We never learn.”
Anonymous

Thirty days has September.
All the rest I can’t remember.

Nutbastard – You need to find more people like that, and avoid ‘em!

The scientists say the air is ionized positively before a storm, and positive ions make us feel depressed. After the storm, air’s ionized negatively, with the opposite effect.

There are psychological factors too, of course. Whether before or after a storm, I love the way everything looks with dark-cloud-filtered sunlight, and that raises my spirits more than the flat glare of a bright sunny day.
Day Vexx

Next question– “If they can’t get their own blinkers off, how can they manage yours?”