The Halo Effect This is a story that I have really wanted to tell for many years, that perfectly illustrates how Maya creates “halos” and “distortions” around public figures images to the point that not only their followers but they themselves start believing in those “myths” They say – Never meet your heroes. While it is not true for …
Relentless Promotion of Debt Financial manipulation through the relentless promotion of debt leverages sophisticated marketing strategies to create a false sense of financial empowerment. The promotion often creates an illusion of affordability, making it seem that high-cost items are comfortably within one’s financial reach through small, manageable payments. Credit card companies and retail stores often promote consumer credit or …
Imagine you’ve got just $200,000 and you’re eyeing a house worth a whopping $1 million. To make this dream a reality, you go ahead and get a home loan for the remaining $800,000. Sounds like a smart move, right? Not so fast. Here’s where things start to twist. First off, in a scenario where everyone can get their hands …
Have you ever observed, when you have a prolonged high fever, even the best food will taste horrible and the best vacation destinations will be unenjoyable. You won’t be able to watch any movie or play any game. Any kind of relationship will be more irritating than pleasurable. The things you enjoy the most in life, will begin to …
Dealing with the “Manipulation” Element of Maya Manipulation can be done by a single person or it can be done by a whole system or society. But again, no matter who the perpetrator is, the power of manipulation to completely screw up your thought process and life is well documented. In fact, you may be the most “evolved” person …
Shih Huang Ti was a ruler with a big dream. He wasn’t content to just be a king or even a good leader. He wanted to be the First Emperor of China, the one who started a dynasty that would last forever. In his mind, he would be the beginning of something so powerful and unshakable that people would talk …
“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t control that inner tranquillity and outer effectiveness become possible.” – Epictetus (Ancient Greek Philosopher) Most …
PSYCHOLOGICAL BIASES Confirmation Bias: Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon where individuals favor information that confirms their existing beliefs and reject the information that does not. We tend to seek out, interpret, remember, and share information in ways that affirm our preconceptions. This can lead to skewed perspectives and, often, poor decision-making. The classic case of confirmation bias …
I am going to share with you a story of a Mathematician named John Nash. Perhaps some of you may have heard of him, but if you haven’t, by the time you finish reading this unusual story, you will have tremendous respect for the man for what he achieved despite his severe problems. John Nash was always intelligent as …
How do you differentiate between the good and bad pleasures of life? Yes, pleasure is not unanimously good or bad! Unlike people who glorify pleasure or absolutely show a disdain for it, the truth is humans do need some pleasure to lead a good life, but there has to be a sweet spot, which contributes more to your life than …