Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Jung (1875-1961) once said, "Thinking is difficult, that's why most people judge." I think Jung hit this one out of the park. People, in general, are lazy thinkers. They try to minimize their thinking as much as possible, thus the reason my social psychology professor in college once told my class that human beings are "cognitive misers." I think this explains in part why people have become so reliant on reality television -- or, more broadly, TV in general -- for entertainment. In this era of Netflix and streaming content, the last thing most people are thinking about is reading Shakespeare for leisure. Technology, moreover, seems to be exacerbating the problem. The easier things become, the less inclined we are to think critically to arrive at solutions to problems. And why don't people want to think? Because it's difficult, taxing, strenuous. Most people wish to spend as little brainpower as poss...

Who else finds it hard to believe that we're in the middle of April already? It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the holidays and ringing in the New Year. Summer will be here before we know it. I've noticed that once September ends, the final quarter of the year goes by at blazing speed, probably because of all the holidays that fall in those months. Remember how different things were when we were kids? Summer vacation couldn't come soon enough. The school year felt neverending. We would do anything back then to make time go a little faster. As adults, though, time feels scarce, and we only wish we had a way to stop or slow down the clock. The days seemingly blur into one another, and the months go by in the blink of an eye. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Time is without a doubt the most precious commodity we have. Unlike money, it's the one thing that we can't get back. Thus, it's no wonder why human beings strive to ...

Or so it seems... Have you noticed that many people only seem to show interest in you when you show little to none in them? It's like the pendulum has to swing one way or the other. Achieving equilibrium isn't easy, whether we're talking about friendships or relationships. The key reason why this happens is because human beings not only have a tendency to become complacent in their friendships or relationships, but they often take the other person for granted. Once we see someone willing to bend over backwards for us, we perceive it as weakness and try to exploit that vulnerability as much as we can. I'm not saying all people do this, but many of us do. So what happens when you do the opposite -- that is, act indifferent?  The less emotionally invested one person seems to be, the more leverage he or she holds. In other words, he who cares least -- or is perceived as such -- has more power in the relationship. There's always going to be someone who compla...

This one will require some serious thought, so hold on to your pants, folks: If you were stranded on an island with no one other than a fairly attractive member of the opposite sex as a result of an unfortunate plane crash and were aware that the chances of you both ever getting off the island were slim to none, do you think you might eventually become physically and emotionally intimate with that person? The scenario described above is reminiscent of the movie "Cast Away" featuring Tom Hanks, except that in this case the chances of ever making it back home are virtually nil. I know that this is a tough one, especially for those who have a spouse and children. Note that we're assuming the following: Friends and family haven't heard from you in a while, and many have assumed you've died You have no access to phones, and there's no way of reaching out to anyone else on the island You and the other person have enough food and water to tide you over f...

Have you ever considered that you could have come into this world as a plant or animal? It's interesting to mull the possibilities. If we had been born animals or plants, it's possible we could have been someone or something's lunch a long time ago. In a way, it makes me feel bad for these living organisms, as I doubt they realize they could be made prey at a moment's notice. Then again, many of the animals feed on other creatures to survive. Imagine not being able to communicate as a human does, and roaming the wild (feral animals) or streets (domesticated animals). In the case of plants, they also stand the risk of being pulled or drying up. As human beings, we can reflect on our lives, bask in our accomplishments, and strive to meet goals every day. But what about animals and plants? Studies have proven that animals and plants have feelings and can actually suffer. Do they aim for anything in particular? What comes to mind is pretty clear-cut: caring fo...

In a very short period of time, this blog -- How to Understand People -- has amassed over 200 Google + followers. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for reading, sharing, and commenting on my posts. There's nothing I love more than exploring why human beings behave as they do, and this blog serves as a platform on which I can do just that. I encourage you to continue sharing posts and recommend the blog to friends and family, especially those who love probing into the human mind. I look to continue improving upon the blog by adding more content in the coming months -- from videos to pictures. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to share them on the blog or via email at JeffM8519@aol.com. Thanks again and I look forward to interacting more with you in the days to come! Jeff