Psychology and behavioral economics

Under stress, including conditions of overload, systems degrade in a predictable manner.  

Teaching in our local family practice residency is one of the most enjoyable parts of my week. When a colleague recently asked why I liked it so much, it took some reflection to answer.

Slow down, you move too fast.  It will all be over far too soon. 

I talked to a friend recently about a serious health experience. He had became ill suddenly and was hospitalized for six days. No one from his community came to visit. Only one person from work stopped by. No one called. He described being frightened by his illness and feeling vulnerable and alone in the hospital. He was devastated by what felt like abandonment in his time of crisis.

Did you know that there is a whole branch of psychology devoted to the impact of interruptions and distractions on learning, memory, performance, productivity, and decision making?

Lisl was very good high school skier but seemed not to have the race results she was capable of and everyone expected.  

In practice, it was clear she had great technique and a good motor, and could stay at the front without difficulty. In races, however, she would set out looking fantastic but come in near the end of the pack, beaten by skiers with much less ability than she, and seemed happy with her race.  It never seemed to bother her.  In fact, she never complained and was always one of the happiest in the van on the way home.b

All day long I work with patients who want answers and certainty. My awareness of how few questions have proven answers, and how unpredictable human health and disease can be, is a heavy burden.  This discordance may be why I enjoyed Stuart Firestein’s excellent book, Ignorance,  so much.

Alone we go faster, but together we go further. Alone things are simpler, but together things are better. Alone we control the process and perhaps the product, but it is together that we learn and grow. 

Let’s work together.

It’s impossible to learn from one’s mistakes while busy denying or hiding them.

It’s easy to take people for granted. 

Darwin observed: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” This profound observation is poorly understood and usually ignored by institutions and organizations.