Quotes from Richard Wiseman

Thanks to our capacity to adapt to ever greater fame and fortune, yesterday's luxuries can soon become today's necessities and tomorrow's relics."6

As we continue toward the fifth secret technique of psychics, I have a gut feeling that you are the sort of person that lets your heart rule your head, can sometimes be too impulsive for your own good, and have recently come into contact with a goat. Rest assured you are not the only one.

A woman's flattery may inflate a man's head a little, but her criticism goes straight to his heart, and contracts it so that it can never again hold quite so much love for her.

if you want to cheer yourself up, behave like a happy person.

Researchers have speculated that those who fantasize about how wonderful life could be are ill prepared for the setbacks that frequently occur along the rocky road to success, or maybe they enjoy indulging in escapism and so become reluctant to put in the effort required to achieve their goal.

The next time you are trying to be creative in a meeting, gently lean forward and pull against the table. When the going gets tough, cross your arms to help perseverance in the face of failure. If that doesn't work, lie down. If anyone accuses you of being lazy, quietly explain that you are employing your locus coeruleus in the war against rigid thinking.

Buy Experiences, Not Goods. Want to buy happiness? Then spend your hard-earned cash on experiences. Go out for a meal. Go to a concert, movie, or the theater. Go on vacation. Go and learn how to pole dance. Go play paintball. Go bungee jumping. In fact, get involved in anything that provides an opportunity to do things with others, and then tell even more people about it afterward. When it comes to happiness, remember, it is experiences that represent really good value for the money.

Horne, J. A., & Minard, A. (1985). 'Sleep and Sleepiness Following a Behaviourally Active Day'. Ergonomics, 28, 567–75.

Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University and his colleagues undertook a series of studies in which they forced people to wear Barry Manilow T-shirts.7

materialism takes root in early childhood, and is driven mainly by low self-esteem.26

compared to individuals, groups tend to be more dogmatic, better able to justify irrational actions, more likely to see their actions as highly moral and have a tendency to form stereotypical views of outsiders.

Telling a child that they are intelligent might make them feel good, but it can also induce a fear of failure, causing the child to avoid challenging situations because they might look bad if they are not successful. In addition, telling a child that they are intelligent suggests that they do not need to work hard to perform well. Because of this, children may be less motivated to make the required effort, and so be more likely to fail.

praising effort encourages people to stretch themselves, work hard, and persist in the face of difficulties.

if you set children to an activity that they enjoy and reward them for doing it, the reward reduces the enjoyment and demotivates them. Within a few seconds you transform play into work.

L'analyse de toutes ces données a permis de briser certains mythes à propos du recrutement et de faire apparaître une réalité assez étonnante. Les probabilités d'embauche dépendaient-elles des qualifications ? Ou plutôt de l'expérience professionnelle ? Ni l'un ni l'autre ! Seul un élément était décisif : le candidat avait-il l'air sympathique.

Pour vous faire aimer, demandez un service.

being conscious of the fuel-burning activities that you engage in every day is good for you.

Lucky people create, notice and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives. Being in the right place at the right time is actually all about being in the right state of mind.

The concept of luck is very straightforward. Some people notice opportunities and others don't.

Lucky people create, notice, and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives.