December Translations
December Translations
December Translations
A fear of the new can be a side effect of our primary survival mechanism. However, this fear
can distract us from the truth and reality. Resistance to the unknown makes it difficult to
grow and gain wisdom. We experience the contradiction of constantly looking at life through
the same window yet hoping to see something different. However, embracing the new opens
the door to new life experiences and lays the foundations for new stories. How can we cope
with a fear of newness without it hindering us?
This research shows that we can learn a lot, even from babies. We often do not know who we
should use as a reference in uncertain and new situations. We may inevitably get the message
that it would be wrong to try something new if we defer to a negative reference. Consciously
choosing people from business life or our friends who will encourage newness can increase
our hope and courage.
Just as it is crucial to gain vision when trying something new, accepting a new truth, even if it
seems contrary to our current knowledge, can open a new world in our minds. Although it
may seem easy to be open to hearing different opinions, very few of us dare to change our
minds by discussing situations that could hurt our egos. If we want to learn the truth, we can
embrace a new reality without being attached to any idea at the identity level.
Sources:
● Duke, Annie (2022). Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away.
● Galef, Julia (2019). The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don’t.
● Henrich, Joseph (2015). How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter
● Leslie, Ian (2021). Conflicted: How Productive Disagreements Lead to Better Outcomes.
BJ Fogg reveals three universal elements that make up human behaviour in his behavioural
model that he tested on many people. These are motivation, ability and will.
a. Motivation
b. Capability
Capability refers to our capacity and suitability to act, whether physical, mental, financial,
etc. Are we suitable in all respects? Let's say we improve our foreign-language speaking
skills. We immediately sign up for a speaking club that we can go to after work. But we work
so hard that after the first lesson, we cannot continue even if we want to. Even though we
have motivation, our tiredness gets in the way of our desire. So, how can we overcome this?
By shifting the lesson days to the weekend or registering online, we can eliminate the
situation that prevents us from taking action and make it easier for us to practice the
language. According to the Fogg Behavior Model, as something gets more challenging, our
likelihood of doing it decreases, while as it gets easier, our probability of doing it increases.
For this reason, Fogg accepts the motto “simplicity changes behaviour” as the basis of
behaviour design. Even if our motivation decreases after our first attempt, making our goal as
easy as possible allows us to achieve it.
c. Will
Fogg calls the driving force that directs us to act will—the prompt acts as a catalyst for us to
perform a behaviour. Like the green crossing light at a street corner, a notification from a
social media app, or rain falling so that we open our umbrella, Fogg says that we will not act
without prompting. While we can design prompts consciously, some prompts move us
unconsciously. That's precisely why understanding how behaviour occurs is of great
importance to change our lives for the better.
Fogg formulates his model as follows: B (Behavior) = M (Motivation) & A (Ability) & P
(Prompt). In other words, for an action to occur, these three elements must exist at the same
time. Do we want to gain a new habit or eliminate an unwanted habit, but we cannot succeed?
We can start by evaluating our target behaviour through this model!
Source:
PhD BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, Boston, 2019.
We don't need a concrete goal or reason to save and invest money. We can set it aside until
the time comes when we encounter a logical opportunity to invest. Of course, we have to let
our money and thoughts incubate. We must be prepared for opportunities before they come
and be hopeful for gains we cannot yet imagine. Additionally, unspent money set aside keeps
our options open and strengthens our control over time. Even if we do not have a goal in the
short term, or even if it is a goal that we think we can never achieve because it is too high,
such as buying a house, it may be helpful to remember that life is uncertain and it is good to
prepare for crises we may encounter.
We expect financial experts and the media to provide predictions about the economy.
However, it is impossible to foresee what's coming with a completely accurate analysis in a
complex structure dominated by uncertainty. So why do we insist on such an expectation?
Psychologist Philip Tetlock says, "We need to believe we live in a predictable, controllable
world, so we turn to authoritative-sounding people who promise to satisfy that need." Of
course, obtaining ideas from experts about investing who allow room for uncertainty can be
helpful in following risks, possibilities and trends. However, it may be beneficial for us not to
get stuck on the opinions of experts who spell out disaster scenarios or try only to predict the
future using hindsight.
Over 50 years of research surveys in the United States, analysts looked at what people did
with their money over time. They found that, in general, people made investment decisions
based on experiences in their young adulthood, regardless of circumstances. In other words,
when we grow up, if things look good in the stock market, our chances of investing in the
stock market become stronger. These people invested more in the stock market than those
who grew up when the stock market was weak. Findings show that risk-taking in individual
investments links highly to our personal history. Past learning also influences our investment
decisions, regardless of logic, intelligence or level of education. However, trends change, and
not all investment types are the most logical option for every circumstance. Situations occur
when real estate, foreign stock markets, bonds or commodity products are trending. It is
better to stay on top of what is current and rational rather than basing our decisions about
finances on the past.
We may feel like we're missing out on life due to financial burdens. Interestingly, much of
this burden may come from conspicuous overspending. Moreover, feeling like we're missing
out on life may indicate that we are sabotaging ourselves to avoid facing our fears. According
to a study on this subject, researchers determined that people who attach a negative meaning
to death are more likely to have the urge to own high-status products. This situation can
manifest primarily in cases of low self-esteem.
5. Calculate Expenditures
If we have a car, have we ever calculated how much we spend on it every month? According
to an accounting expert, everything, including gasoline, car insurance, and taxes, should not
exceed 15% of our total salary. Otherwise, we may be wasting time and resources trying to
reach our financial goals. If our current situation indicates that we are spending too much
money on our car, for example, we may consider selling our car or changing the model to
meet longer-term goals.
Sources:
● Housel, Morgan (2020). The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness
● Solomon, Sheldon (2015). Worm At The Core: On the Role of Death in Life.
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW7Ii-216aU&ab_channel=Nischa
We wake up tired after a sleepless night, determined not to have a "cheat" day or slip on our
resolution to eat better. Maybe we skip breakfast or opt for a first meal of the day that isn't
satisfying. Hunger sets in, and we bat it away with caffeinated beverages. Our stomachs
grumble when a colleague passes our pastries from our favourite cafe, but we resolve not to
snack. When we finally make it home, our minds and bodies are exhausted from battling our
willpower. One whiff of a decadent dessert or the rustle of a crisps bag, and we find ourselves
eating by the refrigerator's light. Sound familiar? Let's look closer at night eating and what
we can do to support our physical wellbeing.
Gender Differences
In a study of 8,153 adults in Japan, researchers found an association between night eating
habits and metabolic syndrome in women. They discovered that both men and women were
at higher risk of dyslipidemia, a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormally high or low
amounts of lipids or lipoproteins in the blood. Skipping breakfast by both genders affected
their Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Sources:
Bacon, Linda, PhD. Health at Every Size. 2010.
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/late-night-eating-impact
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425165/
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6262-3
https://www.alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/blog/is-late-night-eating-bad-for-your-brain