Sunday Sharies 02.06.22

A QUOTE

“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets."

— Dr. W. Edwards Deming, statistician and management thinker



A QUESTION

What common object has protected you most?



A THOUGHT

What modulates our behavior can save us or sink us.

Consider situations where we should adjust our focus:

  • When we hear a car horn, it's a warning to get out of harm's way. It modulates our attention. Without the horn, our normal behavior (aka driving the speed limit) might fail us.

  • When a fire alarm goes off, it's a signal to evacuate the building. It modulates our attention. Without the alarm, our normal behavior (aka continuing to work/eat/sleep in the building) might fail us.

But then there are systems designed to distract; experiences that trigger the same Systems 1 thinking where we operate automatically and quickly:

  • When we see a chocolate bar in the impulse aisle, it gets us thinking about a guaranteed dopamine rush. It modulates our attention. Without the impulse aisle, our normal behavior (aka staying healthy and minimizing poor food choices) could have gone uninterrupted.

  • When a shocking headline crosses the screen as we scroll through social media, it piques our interest in the salacious bit of news. It modulates our attention. Without exposure to the headline, our normal behavior (aka sticking to reading that increases knowledge rather than anxiety) could have gone uninterrupted.

Protect your physical and mental health by recognizing and rejecting that which attempts to change your behavior when a change in behavior is not necessary.

Siena Hickey