If You Think Healthy Snacking Means Sucking Carrot Stick, The Let Them Prove You Wrong

As the world experiences a paradigm shift, more and more people are becoming more health conscious. However, certain aspects such as work can hamper our desire to eat healthily. For a quick pick me up, we tend to dash to the pantry or nearest pastry shop at midday.

Admittedly, at such a time we often reach for options such as Chips or anything with chocolate. Studies have shown that our bodies tend to crave for sugar when our energy is low. This will slow down your weight loss goals, as well as impact your overall well-being.

There are lots of healthy choices other than the boring carrot sticks available in the market. They taste just as the same as regular snacks, offer you the same level of satisfaction but take care of your health at the same time. Here at Lifehack, we have prepared a comprehensive list of healthy snacks. You can keep the below-mentioned snacks in your drawer at work, for availability and convenience.

1.Sahale Snacks All Natural Nut Blends

A healthy option full of variety in terms of flavors and fruit: Almonds with Cranberries, Honey and Sea Salt, Mango Tango Almond Mix, Cashews with Pomegranate and Vanilla and Classic Fruit and Nut Blend just to name a few.The variety in flavor and recipes cater for every single individual and is versatile in terms of usage. These low fat, Gluten- Free snacks can be added to a few other recipes to spice them up.Sahale Snacks are very affordable, considering what you get for what you pay. They come in 2 packs of each flavor.

2.RXBAR Whole Food Protein Bar

This is an absolute favorite among health enthusiasts. It is made of healthy and organic ingredients such as egg whites and cashews, to make the perfect pick me up.The ingredients contained in the product, have a direct influence on energy and mood. Hence, can be eaten before or after exercising. Or even at work when you need an energy boost to increase your productivity.
Completely sugar-free, soy and dairy free, gluten free, this whole food protein bar have often been referred as a powerhouse of nutrition and health.

3.Navitas Organics Cacao Goji Superfood Power Snack

Superfoods have been known to have numerous and major benefits health wise. However, never have we been able to get our hands on most of the superfoods at once. But with Navitas Organics, it is now possible.Navitas Organics have the ability to instantly increase levels of energy and leave you fully satiated as well.If you are a workout junkie or health enthusiast, this is your go-to snack. Get creative and use it in a number of recipes.

4. Hippies Organic Chickpea Puffs

Hippies Organic Chickpea puffs come in five different flavors, to cater for a variety of needs and taste.
This affordable snack is very high in nutritional value, exhibiting a high level of protein necessary for energy production.

5. Bare Natural Coconut Chips

The product contains real coconuts, baked to perfection to create an authentic and great tasting treat.
Simple, yet packed with high nutritional value. You can store it in your drawer at work, or carry it for a pre- or pro workout routine.

6. PopCorners 6 Flavor Variety Pack

The natural ingredients, add a spicy flavor to the corn. Completely free of cholesterol and gluten, the product is a bag full of health.PopCorners are great even at home when you get those unexpected hunger pangs or cravings.

7. Food Should Taste Good, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole

It taste just as how it’s named. SO GOOD. Who doesn’t love guacamole and want to eat as much without feeling guilty. This is the choice for you. It is baked with real ingredients and only touched up with pinches of salt. It’s is completely cholesterol free and not fried, so you can count on them when you crave for the devil-like guacamole!

Ditch the chips in your hand and start snacking healthy today!

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The Endless Battle Between Good and Popular

Have you ever watched an awards show and wondered how the judges reached their decision? Specifically, is it really the most talented artists who receive accolades, or is it just about popularity? Some argue that it doesn’t matter how accomplished you are – if your work is not popular, it will never be perceived as “good.”

Let’s take the Grammys as an example. The Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Album Of The Year categories could theoretically be won by an artist of any musical genre. However, no classical work has ever won one of these awards.^[1] Year after year, the Grammy judges seem to reward musicians who are popular, as opposed to those who are “good.”

Looking at the numbers, Taylor Swift’s “1989” won the 2016 Best Album award, whereas Adele’s “25” has been nominated for the 2017 prize. Both these albums have sold in their millions – “1989” sold five million copies by July 2015, and “25” sold over nine million copies in 2016. It would appear that there’s a clear split between “good” and “popular.”

How does this split come about?

At the beginning of an artist’s career, they use their creativity as a means of expressing their feelings. When they make music or create a painting, their aim is to work through difficult emotions and restore a state of contentment and calm. If the result isn’t to their liking, they work hard to make it as good as possible – perfection is the end goal for beginner artists. Popularity isn’t their first priority.

However, as someone learns their craft, they start to crave more attention, and to let others share in their work. Unfortunately, because art is subjective, their audience might not understand what they are trying to achieve, which can be disheartening. At this point, they have an epiphany – if they want to gain popularity and a wider audience, they need to tailor their art to the masses.

The typical artist will then work around other people’s tastes. Their first priority is no longer excellence. Instead, their focus has shifted to increasing their personal popularity.

Good vs Popular

People who focus on producing good work instead of popular end to strive for excellence. They do not care what other people think, and they know that it isn’t always a good idea to follow the crowd. In fact, the masses may not actually care what is best for them, and simply want them to churn out popular works. People who place “good” over “popular” are also free to be more creative.

At the same time, people who do not care whether their work is popular runs the risk of ignoring constructive criticism. They can become too single-minded, and may also become depressed if only a small minority of the population enjoy their work.

On the other hand, people who cater for a wide audience create pieces of work that take into account multiple perspectives, because they are concerned with the opinions of other people. Popular works are more commercially successful, and these people can gain a lot of satisfaction when they achieve a wide audience.

The downside is that people who try to appeal to the majority will lose their personal creativity. They might even develop a reputation as a predictable, “boring” person who produces a string of similar works. When you create things primarily for others, rather than yourself, it can become impersonal and bland.

Those who strive to be popular turn into people-pleasers. When your identity is tied up with your reputation, it’s a constant battle to keep up with the latest fashions. People who try to live up to others’ expectations will run into problems, because the whims and tastes of the public will change over time. A popular person may succeed in changing themselves to suit the majority of their fans, but this could come at a cost of their personal development. They might shift over time, but perhaps not for the better.

However, people who strive to simply produce good work and be the best of themselves can also stall in their development. They may stubbornly refuse to listen to others, and might never evolve beyond the present state.

Why not have both?

When you aim to be either good or popular, you will run into trouble. The answer is to make great stuff, but also takes the perspective of others into account. You need to remain true to your vision, yet remain open to comments and criticism from outsiders. When you combine your vision with the needs of your audience, you have a winning combination.

Let’s look at how this can work in practice. The Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI upholds the principle of minimalism. They take pride in producing high-quality products that come with few features. However, they also cater to a wide market by offering shoppers functionality. For example, they strive to create items that fit with their minimalist aesthetic, but they also take the average person’s needs into account, offering everyday items such as pens and notebooks that fit their philosophy.^[2]

Just because our culture tends to divide us into these two categories doesn’t mean that you can’t balance both in you. The trick is to get clear about what you are trying to achieve, and stick to your principles – yet at the same time remaining open to new influences.

The next time you create something, work until it’s the best you can make it, be the best self you can be. Once you are satisfied, ask others for their opinion. Listen carefully, but don’t automatically assume they are right! Keep your integrity intact, and be what makes you happy. It’s great to bring joy to other people’s lives, but your self-respect is important too.

Reference

[1]	^	The News Minute: Are The Grammys Really About Skilful Music Anymore?
[2]	^	MUJI: Visualise the philosophy of MUJI

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Let All Family Members Contribute To Grocery Shopping List With This App

When going to the grocery store, it is a common practice to get a piece of paper and write down a list of items you will need. This method of reminder is as old as paper itself.

While a lot of people still use it, some others type it on their phones and constantly bring it out of the bag to check and uncheck lists of items while shopping. Both methods are effective but why suffer the stress of using them when there is a far better option?

Here at Lifehack we introduce you “Bring! Grocery Shopping List.” Almost everything has an app today, and grocery shopping will not be an exception.

What Makes It Better Than Other Grocery Shopping Apps?

Bring! Grocery Shopping List a phone app which allows you create multiple grocery shopping lists to suit your lifestyle and budget. You even get to share the lists with friends if you like. Over two million mobile phone users around the world are already using this app. You can easily download that app on your phone, and if you are wondering how it works, this is how to use it.

Lists Are Easy To Build With Clear Icons

When you download and install Bring! Grocery Shopping List, start to build your grocery list as it suits your needs. It is very easy, just open as many lists as you want to make. To avoid getting confused and mixing it up, rename each list along with a background picture to distinguish so you can comfortably pick a list whenever you want to.

The design of using icons instead of inputting text makes Brings more user friendly than other shopping lists out there. Now that you have your lists properly built and personalized, you can start adding items by picking icons to each list. Very easy! You don’t have to type a million times to finish your list.

Shopping List is now collaborative!

So you are done preparing your grocery lists and you would like friends to have a look and participate? Simple!All you have to do is type in the email address of the friend you want to share your list with. When you do that, Bring! will send a message, inviting the person to the app and automatically, your list. As soon as they get the app installed on their phones, they can have access to your list and can do some editing on it.

This App Will Upgrade Your Shopping Experience

This app can save you a lot of time running back and forth the grocery store to pick up stuff you forget that you family asked you to get or some last minute request. Now everyone can contribute to the list, you can set a deadline for everyone so they know when’s the latest they have to complete the list so you won’t miss out anyone!

Bring! Grocery Shopping List can also be operated from your watch where it is even more fun to use. Just launch Bring! And pick one of your lists. Swipe left and right to view items on your preferred list and start shopping.

Bring! Grocery Shopping List app is available on app store and play store for free. Yes! It is free of charge and with the user-friendly interface, sharing feature and multiple lists, this is one app you definitely must check out. So, start listing and get shopping with Bring! Grocery Shopping List.

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Steve Jobs Knew Exactly Where He Needed To Go For His "Apple" of The Eye

Steve Jobs is no doubt one of the greatest men in the modern technology world, and what he says are always worshipped. We saw his passion towards design and technology, and after failures of his projects, he never stopped pursuing his vision for Apple, the quote here is the reflection of his life.

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The Life Changing Magic of Getting a Person to Change Their Mind, Even Yourself

Wіth thоѕе we саrе about, we trу аnd try аnd trу. Sometimes wе need tо dо іt оurѕеlvеѕ, but wе resist. Yes, I’m tаlkіng аbоut сhаngе, раrtісulаrlу оf оur minds. And аѕ оur knоwlеdgе оf hоw оur brаіnѕ wоrk ѕtаrtѕ tо аlіgn wіth оbѕеrvеd bеhаvіоr, wе’rе starting tо gеt confirmation thаt changing mіndѕ іѕ роѕѕіblе. But wе hаvе tо be forced into thе unсоmfоrtаblе ѕіtuаtіоn оf hоldіng twо opposing іdеаѕ іn оur mіnd mоmеnt for thе mаgіс tо happen.

Hаvе уоu еvеr nоtісеd thаt ѕоmе реорlе are better аt persuading thаn others? And that ѕоmе people аrе mоrе rеѕіѕtаnt than оthеrѕ tо attempts tо сhаngе thеіr mіnd? It’ѕ hаrd enough tо persuade someone wіth аn ореn mind, but it’s еvеn mоrе difficult to сhаngе ѕоmеоnе’ѕ mіnd when thеу ѕtrоnglу dіѕаgrее wіth уоu.

Change of Mind Occurs Gradually, Never Expect Anything Instant

In the article The life-changing magic of getting a person to change their mind—even yourself by Suzanne Cope, she states that the key to success is confronting cognitive dissonance, the state of mental discomfort one feels when holding two or more conflicting beliefs or worldviews at the same time. Coming to terms with cognitive dissonance facilitates what the adult learning theorist Jack Mezirow called tansformational learning – identifying and addressing our biases through action, becoming a bit more tolerant along the way.

Bеаr іn mіnd thаt most оf the time–if nоt аlwауѕ–а сhаngе оf mind occurs grаduаllу. Even a ѕееmіnglу ѕuddеn change of mind comes аftеr a реrіоd оf questioning, rеаѕѕеѕѕmеnt, аnd іnсrеmеntаl change. Oftеn the lаѕt ѕtrаw is thе оnе we nоtісе, but thеrе mау hаvе been many unnоtісеd оnеѕ ѕеttіng thе ѕtаgе fоr change. Thuѕ, уоu ѕhоuld bеgіn уоur efforts to реrѕuаdе as еаrlу as possible аnd wоrk аt it over a period оf tіmе. This article саn help уоu kеер trасk оf whаt уоu need to dо whеn trуіng to change someone’s mіnd.

To read the full article, click here.

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Are You The Odd One Out?

Everyone is looking for success and it is surely not that easy to achieve. It’s the thought that counts that help us get out of bed in the morning and keeps us up at night to pursue our passion. Most constantly work all their lives and would still not leave a single mark in history. So how then can we try to set ourselves apart? Is it purely hard work or doing something at the right time?

We strive day and night to find the answers to our questions. How did Bill Gates make it, how did Steve Jobs create his Apple empire? How can we replicate their success or create a new one for ourselves? These are just some of the questions we may ask ourselves from time to time. In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an inspiring journey into the minds of successful people in the world.

Journey of the successful

The book follows some of the most successful personalities from each area of history. The book follows how Bill Gates achieved his immense wealth, how the Beatles came to be the most popular band in history. He follows different factors that might have affected them, their culture, their birth month, their upbringing and struggles. The book repeatedly mentions the’10,000 hour rule’; the rule states that to succeed in any fielding practice is the key.

What makes the successful different?

In his book, Malcolm Gladwell refers to a select few as the ‘outliers’ – the best of the best, the successful and the rich. He explains to us how the elite are different from us and how we are missing out on understanding their success. He answers this by stating that we pay too much attention to their post-success lifestyle when instead we should focus on their past. Their upbringing, their education, their struggles, these are the things we should focus on, they bring us closer to them and give us a better understanding of them because we can see them in our shoes. This helps with decision making and boosts confidence in our abilities.

The book is a must-read for anyone that is wanting to succeed. The in-depth interview with Bill Gates provides readers with an insight into the mind of the richest man in the world, and is inspiring to young people everywhere.

Reading duration: 6 hours 56 mins

Get Outliers: The Story of Success from Amazon at $12.35.

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What You Can Learn From Over 5000 Years Ago That Will Help You Today

History is inevitable. The wisest are men who have learnt from their history. Human history is filled with a blend of good and bad moments; events that mark the creation of the present world and as we known it.History is not merely a reminder of crime and man’s dispute with others but also a garden of flowers with each flower possessing a unique fragrance; a space in mind where thousands of saints, artists, warriors, philosophers still live and preach their expertise.

In The Lessons of History, Will and Ariel Durant have described all the good factors about history,giving us a glimpse of human civilisation and the norms that connect us to our ancestors. It makes a relation between us and the people who lived thousands of years ago.

In this book, Durant gives a bird’s eye view of human civilisation. This book is a succession of the 10 volumes “History of Civilisation” and was first published in 1968, making it one of the most thought provoking books of the 20^th century and is a must read for any history enthusiast.

As you go along the book, it unveils all the mysteries about human history and connects the species that are thousands of years apart from each other in an emotional yet attractive way. The writer has combined the concepts of social sciences, human psychology and economics in a creative way.

Why is history important?

History allows us to feel connected to our roots and develop a relationship with our ancestors. Only through history can we learn many different lessons necessary for our success and deliverance. History reveals the secrets and opens to us the doors of knowledge we seek every day.

History teaches us that society is a game of survival. The strong will rule and the weak will get oppressed by the forced rules implemented by the stronger society. However, certain events can bring the whole world together to fight and stand for the same cause. This sudden change in the behavior and needs of the entire world will be occurring because of the history and the lessons history has taught us.

Reading duration: 2 hours 38 minutes

GetThe Lessons of History from Amazon at $8.98

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Let Me Give You The Gift Of The Gab

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Ranking number 13 amongst other popular phobias, it is more common than the fear of clowns, needles, and darkness. We might not all suffer from this phobia, but I’m sure there are times we still feel nervous and anxious when we have to face a big crowd or give a speech in front of a large audience. Yet public speaking is almost one of the most useful delivery tools in our lives.

Remember the times you had to present at school, or pitch a project in class?All these require a form of public speaking. Eventually when you move on to working life, chances are you would still have to speak in front of an audience whether it be in board meetings, office seminars or external presentations where you might need to pitch a proposal to clients. Public speaking is an important asset that we should all strive to achieve no matter how big your fears may be.

Here is a selection of 5 books that will help you through the anxiety, to excel in the public speaking arena.

TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris J. Anderson

There is no denying that (almost) all TED speakers are talented public speakers, and the man behind the TED curtain, who has worked with all these inspiring TED speakers, Chris Anderson has definitely challenged the public speaking game for short talks since his takeover in the early 2000s. The book explains how powerful public speeches are achieved, and equips you to master your next great public speaking stint.

“There is no formula; no two talks should be the same” as Chris pointed out there is no cookie cutter solution to the best short talk. The core takeaway from this book is about how public speaking is merely a channel to transfer your ideas to your audience’s minds.

Reading Duration: 5hrs 57mins

Get TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking from Amazon at $9.24

Slide: ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte

Presentation slides/visual aids are one of the few elements that require professionals to think visually and leverage hard skills. But unlike verbal skills, effective visual expression is not actively taught in schools or business training programs.

This book is loaded with easy and practical examples of visual story development which can be used by anyone. It will not turn you into a designer overnight, but you will learn the basics of preparing visual aids for presentations. Be aware this is not a book for teaching you how to use keynote, but more of visual storytelling from a design perspective. Get hold of the book if you are someone who is constantly having to public speak, but has only one set of powerpoint templates.

Reading Duration: 6hrs 7mins

Get Slide: ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations from Amazon at $27.84

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Why is it that some people and organisations are more innovative and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers?

Speaking just seems to be more desirable than listening, so how then can we get people to listen to us? This book offers comparisons and cases to learn from, as Sinek uses the Golden Circle theory of placing WHY at the core, followed by WHAT and HOW, arguing that we’d be better off if we focus more on the WHY as the golden circle suggest, because “People don’t buy WHAT you do, but WHY you do it”.

An important aspect of public speaking is in the persuasiveness of your speech, so if you need some tips on sharpening your sales pitch, check this read.

If you want to be inspired in a few minutes and catch the core of the book, watch Sinek’s TED talk about Starting with WHY:

Reading Duration: 5hrs 17mins

Get Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action from Amazon at $10.23

Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff

In the book Pitch Anything, Klaff argues that creating and presenting a great pitch is merely science, and describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to pitches with the back up of neuroscience. No matter whether you agree with his science method, some of his points are definitely solid, including setting the frame, great storytelling, and how to close a pitch. Expect this book to be your out-of-the-box read for an alternative view on pitching and public speaking.

Reading Duration: 4hrs 57mins

Get Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal from Amazon at $13.75

Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill

Humour can be one of the hardest-to-master elements in public speaking, to speak fluently and capturing the audience’s attention is already difficult, let alone adding humour into the equation.

In Do You Talk Funny, you can learn skills from comedians, and apply to your day-to-day speaking activities, levelling up your public speaking skills. Of course, what you say/tell is not the most important (because humans can only remember 7% of what others have said), Nihill also delivers advice on managing your crowd, time, the stage, interruptions, and the list goes on. Expect yourself to be a more effective and funny public speaker after a good read of this book!

Reading Duration: 4hrs 17mins

Get Do You Talk Funny? 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker from Amazon at $12.13

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Walk While You Work, You'll Be 10X Healthier

In a 2013 article in the New Yorker, writer Susan Orlean informed us that she works on a treadmill desk. For those who are unfamiliar, a treadmill desk is a set-up where you walk at a slow pace – usually not much faster than 2 mph – on a treadmill and using a tall standing desk at the same time.^[1]

Orlean writes that the biggest problem with this set-up is that she has a constant compulsion to announce that she’s working on a treadmill desk.

Sitting silently kills us

But despite the impulse to virtue-signal to all your coworkers, friends, and family, walking while working in incredible for your health. Susan writes the real health risks of sitting more than 6 hours per day – and most Americans sit for more than 11 hours per day!

It’s not surprising that we sit so much: our lives are geared toward this stasis. Many of us have desks at work, and we spend a lot of our time there staring at computer screens, reading, writing, making calls, etc.

The net effect of this is that our muscles remain inactive for 70 to 80% of our waking hours. We burn fewer calories than we did 50 years ago. And, worst of all, there are serious health issues at risk. As Orlean notes, sitting can lead to cardiovascular problems, Type 2 diabetes, certain kinds of cancer, and depression.

Check out this infographic for all the health issues caused by sitting too much:

But, as Orlean notes,

“the thing with walking, though, is that it really does take a lot of time. When I ran, I could whip through five miles in forty-five minutes, but walking the same distance would take forever.”

We all have long workdays and home obligations that eat up our hours. This is where the treadmill desk is perfect! You can work up to walking for one or two hours, or even more, thus avoiding the potential health problems and helping you get more active and burn more calories throughout the day.

Don’t just sit there!

It’s not a must to get a treadmill, which can be somewhat expensive. A great alternative to get started is a standing desk, or a convertible desk that moves up and down for both standing and seated work. A shelf, countertop, or sturdy box could work as makeshift standing desks as well.

As you get started, alternate often. It can take a while to get used to physically active working. Work for 20 minutes standing, then sit for 20 minutes. Keep switching back and forth. Once this becomes easy, you can increase you standing time – but still make sure you take breaks! And when you can, take a little walk while you work, such as if you’re talking to customers, having a conference call, or listening to an audiobook.

It takes some getting used to, but give it a shot! Transition from sitting to standing, and from standing to walking. You too can avoid the chair trap and make small healthy and powerful changes to your work style.

Featured photo credit: Business Insider via youtube.com

Reference

[1]

^

The New Yorker: The Walking Alive

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Others Judge You Even Before You Meet Them, Here's Why

We all have that friend that we need to warn others of before they meet them. Before you meet them, your friend tells you to brace yourself because they can be kind of rude. He tends to make fun of people, but she’s known him for years so she’s used to him. But now before you’ve even met him, you have a negative impression of him.

This inclination to judge before you’ve even met someone is natural. They say that the first impression is important, but sometimes you can make an impression before even meeting someone.

A judgement call is made at light speed

Impressions are instant. It only takes 100 milliseconds to make an impression. When forming a first impression, two areas of the brain are utilized: the amygdala and the posterior cingulated cortex (PCC).

The amygdala is more practical, translating the data received by your senses and linking them to social signals. While the PCC is related to emotion and memory, linking your life experiences to your emotions. These two responses help you to quickly decide whether or not you approve the person you are meeting and want to keep them around.^[1]

It’s a survival instinct to quickly assess a person to determine if they are a threat. Things such as how they dress or their initial behavior help you to make a quick judgment upon meeting a person. But hearing about their behavior without ever having even met them can cause you to form an opinion as well.

When presented with this information, your brain will try to draw a connection to a related memory. But if you don’t have any relevant memories, your brain will try to compensate for the lack of information.

The reason why our brains try to connect this new information with previous experiences is so that you can quickly assess the value of this new person and if they are worthy of meeting again. Just the same, if someone that you are close to expresses their opinion of someone you’ve never met, it will cause you to form an opinion as well.

Now that you have a vague impression of this person, your brain may start making up stories about them. This will give yourself a better idea of who they are with what little information that you have.

The instant judgement could be false

Without meaning to, you now have a set bias against this person even though you really don’t know them. When you’ve formed a  negative opinion of someone you haven’t met, it can be difficult to change the way you feel. Your bias may even be apparent to the person without you meaning to.

When you do finally meet them, everything they do and say will confirm your opinion of them. Any behavior to the contrary will be written off as an exception, because you think that you already know who they really are. This preemptive bias can possibly sabotage what could have been a good relationship.

Contrarily, if someone that you are close to compliments an individual before you meet them, this will cause you to form a positive opinion of them prior to meeting them. This opinion of them will be difficult to sway, cause although it is a positive opinion, it’s still a bias opinion.

A toxic person who is described to you as a good friend has an advantage because you are already accepting them. This will give them more opportunity to prove themselves as a good person despite their numerous displays of toxic behavior. This bias could cause you to potentially build a relationship with someone you probably don’t need in your life.

Others judge you the same way

Many people may already have opinions of you without ever having met you. If your peers are told good things about you before meeting you, it will probably make it easier for you to mingle with them because they already have a good impression of you.

The opposite applies if your peers were told negative stories before meeting you. Even if they weren’t intentionally badmouthing you, it can still cause a rift between you and your new acquaintances.

To prevent falling into this trap of forming any toxic relationship, or setting anyone up for a bad impression which you don’t intend to, start with correcting the way you think.

Think for yourself

Although it is natural to form impressions based on the opinions of others, don’t. Our brains are hardwired to make these assessments. But you can choose to question them. Hold off on solidifying them. Give this new person a chance to prove you wrong.

Keep an open mind. You don’t know what other variables may influence their opinion. Attempt to objectively observe the person and their behavior. Not specifically just how they interact with you, but how they interact with other people as well.

When you don’t let other opinions effect your own, you are more open to developing strong relationships with people you may have not given a chance. You are capable of forming your own opinions and deciding who is worthy of staying in your life.

Watch what you say

Don’t badmouth people. Not only is it unbecoming, but you are causing other people to form negative opinions about someone that you do actually like.

For instance, people tend to complain about their lovers when they aren’t getting along. It isn’t that they don’t actually want to be with them, but they need to vent. But now everyone who has heard them complain thinks that their partner is no good for them and should get kicked to the curb.

Notice how your words can effect and shape how others view reality. You can use this trick to your advantage by putting those you care for in a positive light before introducing them to people who are important to you.

By helping to form a good impression of someone before introducing them, you are creating an opportunity for a postive bond between the two parties and you too.

Reference

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The Guardian: Ancient brain circuits light up so we can judge people on first impressions

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