[남산 Ddalggakbari] Why the Hurricane Named After a Woman Causes More Damage...

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] You are faced with two choices regarding organ donation. The first form asks, “Would you like to donate your organs?” The second form asks, “Would you not like to donate your organs?” Which would you choose? Most likely the latter, because it carries less psychological burden. Authors Yana Nikitin and Mari Heneke of the book Small and Smart Psychology Book explain, “People show a higher willingness to donate when they do not have to actively choose, compared to when they must actively choose.”

In this way, the authors introduce 100 common psychological situations encountered in daily life, borrowing insights from eighteen psychologists.

First, a story everyone can easily predict. The proverb “Words become seeds” is familiar to Koreans. But is it true? Or just a feeling? Psychologists call this “embodied cognition,” and experiments have shown that words actually affect the body. For example, one group was asked to recall past experiences of rejection or exclusion, while another group recalled experiences of belonging. The latter group perceived the room temperature as significantly warmer. The authors state, “Metaphors like ‘ice-cold stares’ are not just linguistic expressions but actually describe phenomena people experience in their surroundings.”

You have been given money. You can buy things or experiences. What do you choose? The authors advise choosing experiences for greater happiness. Things remain, but experiences like travel end?why is that? Experiments showed that 57% of people who spent money on experiences like travel reported greater happiness than 34% who bought jewelry or clothing. The authors explain, “Experiences become part of ourselves and hold important meaning for our identity. Even if others did not directly participate in those experiences, sharing memories allows for connection. In contrast, material possessions do not connect us to others.” However, this difference did not appear among low-income groups, leading the authors to conclude, “Basic material needs must be met first for this to hold true.”

In the same context, the proposition “When tired, one cannot live kindly” also holds. Psychologists divided participants into two groups: one solved difficult math problems and took home the amount they earned, while the other received a fixed amount without effort. The group that solved math problems lost 80% more money than the comparison group. This shows that people with reduced self-control have lower measured morality. The authors explain, “Ethical and honest behavior requires a certain amount of self-control energy.”

Did you know that hurricanes with female names caused greater damage? Statistics on hurricane deaths in the U.S. from 1950 to 2012 show that hurricanes with female names caused much more damage than those with male names. The average death toll for male-named hurricanes was fifteen, while female-named hurricanes averaged 42 deaths. Hurricane names are assigned randomly and cannot be manipulated intentionally, so why did female-named hurricanes cause more damage? Experiments revealed that people’s perceptions played a major role. People were more alert and better prepared for male-named hurricanes, while they tended to relax their guard for female-named ones.

This psychology is also related to happiness. The authors say, “The greater the desire to be happy, the wider the gap between current happiness and desired happiness.” In other words, the greater the hope for happiness, the greater the feeling of unhappiness. The authors note, “Blindly chasing happiness leads to self-centeredness. This reduces social participation and ultimately increases loneliness,” adding, “Those who humbly accept both positive and negative emotions as part of life were much more satisfied with their lives than those who try to avoid uncomfortable feelings.”

People often feel joy in knowing when vague causal relationships are clarified. This book gives the impression of discovering formulas for everyday life that were vaguely understood.

Small and Smart Psychology Book | Written by Yana Nikitin & Mari Heneke | Woongjin Knowledge House | 352 pages | 15,500 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.