#psychology
17 posts
2018 - July
1 post2017 - June
1 post2017 - May
1 post2017 - February
1 post2014 - November
1 post2013 - October
1 post2013 - July
1 post2013 - June
2 posts2013 - May
1 post2010 - January
1 post2009 - November
2 posts2009 - September
1 post2007 - August
2 posts2006 - October
1 post2018 - July
1 post[Off-Topic] The Pity Evolution of Modern Society
Akita criticizes online lynch mobs, echo chambers, and the idea of a right never to be offended. To him, social media turns outrage into public trials without dialogue or due process.
2017 - June
1 post[Off-Topic] Talent Is Highly Overrated: Humanizing Einstein and Killing Gods
The piece questions the myth of natural talent and humanizes Einstein by highlighting deliberate practice, chance, and complex systems. Success has no recipe. It depends on effort and circumstances.
2017 - May
1 postProgrammers Guild - Religion and Sports
Technology communities resemble religions and sports teams, with identity and confirmation bias distorting technical choices. Professionals accept trade-offs and take ownership of their decisions.
2017 - February
1 post[Off-Topic] Carpe Diem and the Myths of Happiness
I take apart the myths of constant happiness, motivation, and “do what you love.” Hedonic adaptation explains the frustration, while learning and enjoying the present restore agency.
2014 - November
1 post[Small Bites/Off-Topic] "People over Processes" — what are "People"?
The author explains that Agile requires processes and continuous improvement, while dealing better with people calls for psychology, behavioral economics, and network concepts. Our behavior is less rational than it seems.
2013 - October
1 post[Off-Topic] Math, Trolls, Haters, and Internet Discussions
The text uses mathematics and complex systems to question formulas without understanding and confusing correlation with causation, including Lean Startup. Self-help does not become science through cases or consensus.
2013 - July
1 postPredictably Irrational
Drawing on Dan Ariely, the author introduces Behavioral Economics to show how prices, dishonesty, and placebos expose predictably irrational decisions, something essential for anyone who manages people.
2013 - June
2 postsProcesses, Methodologies, and the Human Brain
The author explains how emotion, randomness, and pattern-seeking create superstitions and false recipes for success. In projects, methodologies should be tested and adapted, not treated as universal truths.
What Does It Mean to Be a Manager?
Henry Mintzberg treats management as a practice, not a science or profession: good managers combine art, craft, technique, and experience to act according to the context.
2013 - May
1 post[Off-Topic] People: Rational Animals? The id and ego in marketing
Neuroscience suggests that emotions influence decisions before we rationalize them. From there, the text argues that marketing should trigger desire and then offer reasons to justify it.
2010 - January
1 post[Off-Topic] Who's the Idiot?
India's failed birth-control effort came from a misunderstood cause: without retirement, sons served as insurance for old age. Understanding why changes the solution.
2009 - November
2 posts[Off-Topic] Obedience to Authority
Drawing on Asch and Milgram, I argue that conformity and obedience weaken Agile teams and advocate decentralized organizations, with leaders and architects recognized through merit.
[Off-Topic] Cell Phones and Airplanes
I argue that cell phones do not bring down airplanes and interpret the warning to turn off electronics as a way to keep passengers attentive during critical moments of the flight.
2009 - September
1 post[Off-Topic] The Cult of Gray Morality
Commenting on Ayn Rand's The Cult of Gray Morality, the author distinguishes honest error from deliberate omission and criticizes those who use ambiguity to evade moral judgment.
2007 - August
2 postsOff Topic: Enemies of Reason
Inspired by Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan, the author argues for evidence, skepticism, and personal responsibility against dogma, superstition, and irrational disputes between technologies.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy
A movie ticket illustrates the sunk cost fallacy: money already spent should not decide the next step, whether you are judging a movie, a software license, or an architecture.
2006 - October
1 postKathy Sierra: Dilbert and the Zone of Mediocrity
Kathy Sierra describes the zone of mediocrity as the space of safe products nobody loves, and argues for accepting the risk of provoking passion. Escaping it means silencing the voice that blocks ideas before they’re tested.