Harvard scientists have discovered a paradox in the operation of our brain: the less we begin to face problems, the more we begin to notice them. Even where they are actually not.
Syndrome combatant
You ever been fully satisfied with my appearance? We always think that would throw 5-10 kg, and everything will be fine. But remember the times when you haven’t gained (or lost, but later recovered). You thought then your body reference? No. Most likely, you thought that is quite a bit to lose weight, to pump up the press, Yes, bigger Boobs – and then… and then nothing has changed.
This is the essence of syndrome combatant: imagine that the police decided to eradicate crime in a dangerous area and have assembled a team of volunteers. They should report any crimes seen.
And so the warriors did a great job: they reported about all the heists, fights, robberies. It helped, and over time, the level of crime has dropped to zero. And the team left. What’s next?
It would be logical to stop bothering the police: after all is over, no one commits any crimes. Logical, but not realistic. Harvard scientists are convinced that in this case, volunteers begin to report minor incidents: for example, someone loudly arguing on the street or crosses the street at a red light.
So with us, enters our brain. Once the problem disappears, it simply revises its views about what the problem is. And would press porizovannye and bigger Boobs, you’d start to bother leg length or size of the ears. No matter how many challenges we’ve overcome on the way to the goal, we will never reach, because the goal itself every time changing.
Unconscious search problems
A series of experiments confirmed this hypothesis.
In one of them participants were asked to divide the points on the screen in blue and purple. They warned that the number of blue dots will decrease and even promised a cash prize for impartiality. Nothing helped: the less on the screen had blue dots, the more purple the participants, the subjects recorded in the “blue”.
The same thing happened when the subjects were asked to evaluate scientific experiments in ethics. The less truly unethical experiences they offered, the more experiments they evaluated as unacceptable from the moral point of view.
Why is this happening and what to do about it?
Experts believe that our brain compares our feelings only with recent experience. It is easier and faster than to give an assessment that would take into account all our past. Therefore, we evaluate our success not with what was in the beginning, but with what happened recently. See not the fact that we lost 10 kg and are experiencing due to the lack of a pronounced by the press.
And the only way to fight a constant feeling of dissatisfaction is to write a specific goal. Make lists with plans for the future and mark a tick what you have achieved. And don’t forget from time to time these lists are view – only way to get a feel for how far you have walked.
Your goal is career? Then read our article “How to increase productivity at work: 5 tips scientists” and do 5 hours of the task to which the rest of the required 8.