#17 It’s a strange world: Guilt vs shame culture

❓What are you more afraid of? That you do something morally wrong or that people see you doing something wrong?

❗️The answer may be in your culture. If you come from a Western country you're more likely to care about your conscience, not so much about what other people think or say. Non-Westerners, on the other hand, may feel that avoiding shame is the most important thing.

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilt%E2%80%93shame%E2%80%93fear_spectrum_of_cultures

▶️ Here’s a video about guilt and shame cultures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR37k_cuOjw

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #culture

#18 It’s a strange world: Nudging

❓Why is it that every time we go to a supermarket we end up (=finally doing sth) buying more than we planned?

❗️The truth is we are gently pushed, or “nudged”, to buy things that we don’t actually need. So gently, in fact, that we don’t even realise it. And not only in supermarkets – there are countless examples of psychological tricks used in other businesses and public life, too.

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory

▶️ Here’s a video about nudging:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lha5tQO0H-8

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology

#19 It’s a strange world: Murphy’s Law

❓Have you had one of those days when simply everything seems to go wrong?

❗️Your feeling can actually be explained scientifically with Murphy’s Law which says “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Read and watch to be in the know (=knowing more than most people)!

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy's_law

▶️ Here’s a video about Murphy’s Law:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1pRE0Ykbbg

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology

#20 It’s a strange world: Planned Obsolescence

❓Have you been wondering why electric appliances always break before too long (=soon)? Or why smartphones have become harder to repair?

❗️ The reason might be “Planned Obsolescence” – when companies create products in such a way that they don’t last too long and customers are forced to buy replacements.

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

▶️ Here’s a video about Planned Obsolescence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzWU7D0S9_8

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #economics

#21 It’s a strange world: Not In My Back Yard

❓A new shopping mall, a new prison, a new railway line, a new military base, a new power plant, a new airport – all good and necessary, you will probably say. But what if any of this is built right where you live?

❗️ Local residents often protest against such projects and politicians, planners and businesses have a hard time (=find it difficult) convincing them. The term “NIMBY” is an acronym (=a word creation in which each letter stands for one word) for “Not In My Back Yard” and is used to dismiss (=refuse sb’s idea or opinion) local opposition (=being against) against large construction projects.

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIMBY

▶️ Here’s a video about NIMBY in a city in Texas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2rD8RLNqJQ

❗️ Mondays are for discussions and debates. Discuss about today’s topic in the Afandi English Chat group. Questions will be provided there!

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #politics

#22 It’s a strange world: Pyramid of Needs

❓Can we be nice and kind to each other if we don’t have food or a house?

❗️ Possibly not, because all humans have some basic needs that have to be satisfied first, and there they come in a particular order. A model was proposed by Maslow, an American psychologist, and is well-known popular science.

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

▶️ Here’s a video about Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0PKWTta7lU

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology

#23 It’s a strange world: The Overton Window

❓How is it possible that public opinion can change over time?

❗️ The key to understanding this is the “Overton Window” which describes the range of acceptable ideas. It can move, expand and shrink through cultural change but also manipulation (=making people change their ideas or behaviour without realising it).

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window

▶️ Here’s a video about the Overton Window:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQvKxGehKok

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #politics

#24 It’s a strange world: Singularity

❓Are computers smarter than humans? If not, will they be? If yes, when will they be?

❗️ Most experts agree that we’re not far away from this moment, the moment that is called “singularity”. Probably within our lifetime even! So it’s good to know a thing or two (=a couple of things) about it, right?

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

▶️ Here’s a TED Talk about the Singularity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnT1xgZgkpk

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #technology

#25 It’s a strange world: Stockholm Syndrome

❓Imagine this: You’re at the bank and suddenly a bunch of masked robbers come in and take you hostage (=keep you as a security while threatening to kill you). These are bad guys and you would hope for the police to come quickly and free you, right?

❗️ The reality is more complicated. In some situations people strangely develop positive feelings towards those who hurt or threaten them. Why on Earth does that happen? Read and watch! 👇

⛓ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

▶️ Here’s an explainer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWk3tiN7S3Y

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology

It’s a strange world: The End

▶️ Over the past 1.5 years Afandi English has supplied you with (=given you) background information about 25 interesting phenomena. Time to review!

#1 A Long Place Name
#2 Animal Cafés
#3 Deep Fakes
#4 A Visa-Free Island
#5 The Word “OK”
#6 Polyandry
#7 An Underground Town
#8 Digital Nomads
#9 Veganism
#10 Basic Income
#11 Vertical Farming
#12 Workaholism
#13 Enclaves & Exclaves
#14 Big Mac Index
#15 Whataboutism
#16 Procrastination
#17 Guilt vs Shame Culture
#18 Nudging
#19 Murphy’s Law
#20 Planned Obsolescence
#21 Not In My Backyard
#22 Pyramid of Needs
#23 The Overton Window
#24 Singularity
#25 Stockholm Syndrome

❗️Mondays are still for world knowledge! Keep tuning in to the best of documentaries, infographics, statistics, articles and maps!

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world