Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

I have experienced this my self in real life. This is very cliché but it reminds me of Starwars, "these are not the droids you are looking for," I have seen the power of thinking influence others in a very positive way.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#5

Post by zoba » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 2:33 PM UTC

In many cases, thinking that we are limited is itself a limiting factor.

I've noticed this with self confidence as well. Its interesting because suppose there were two people who were both identical in capability - the one with confidence will do much better. He/She will put ideas out, will come across as more impressive to other people, and in the long term grow faster than the unconfident person because of it...

I mention it because I was surprised when I realized that success is not just intelligence, hard work, and social interaction, but that success is also intertwined with general personality characteristics, like confidence.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#6

Post by lutusp » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 2:56 PM UTC

A quote: "There seems to be a simple way to instantly increase a person’s level of general knowledge. Psychologists ..."

Ahh. Psychologists. Expectations calibrated.

"Expecting to know the answers made people more likely to get the answers right."

Ah, yes -- that conclusion should be easy to rigorously quantify, explain in neuroscientific terms, turn into a general theory, and replicate before anyone assumes we're doing actual science. But no one will shape a theory, there will be no replications, and this study, like 99% of psychology studies, will disappear without a trace, only to be inadvertently repeated years from now by someone who will arrive at the opposite conclusion.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#7

Post by david927 » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 3:00 PM UTC

We've known for a while now that the placebo effect is not just psychological; it affects real physical change.

In one experiment, when given a morphine placebo, patients reported pain relief, but when a morphine-blocker was silently introduced, the placebo morphine no longer worked. [*http://letterstonature.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/the-placebo-...]

It's fascinating and deserves more research.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#8

Post by AdrianRossouw » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 3:06 PM UTC

lutusp wrote: post #6

A quote: "There seems to be a simple way to instantly increase a person’s level of general knowledge. Psychologists ..." Ahh. Psychologists. Expectations calibrated. "Expecting to know the answers made people more likely to get the answers right." Ah, yes -- that conclusion should be easy to rigorously quantify, explain in neuroscientific terms, turn into a general theory, and replicate before anyone assumes we're do…

you dare question a website with 'scientific' in the URL? I like your moxie.

I recall reading something posted recently about how the way the grants in social sciences is set up ensures that you get a whole lot of papers that have a catchy 'truthy' hook to them, which will then get disseminated by the mainstream media and quickly forgotten.

It basically turned the fields into little more than generators of soundbites.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#9

Post by nixy » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 3:13 PM UTC

lutusp wrote: post #6

A quote: "There seems to be a simple way to instantly increase a person’s level of general knowledge. Psychologists ..." Ahh. Psychologists. Expectations calibrated. "Expecting to know the answers made people more likely to get the answers right." Ah, yes -- that conclusion should be easy to rigorously quantify, explain in neuroscientific terms, turn into a general theory, and replicate before anyone assumes we're do…

> "Expecting to know the answers made people more likely to get the answers right."

Well, yes, if someone expects you to know the answer it seems pretty straight forward that you would be more inclined to make a guess rather than saying "I don't know." All of us who ever watched a quiz show on TV know that people who guess an answer instead of passing will sometimes get it right. More often than people who pass, actually.

Re: Your Thoughts Can Release Abilities Beyond Normal Limits

#10

Post by Peroni » Wed, Aug 14, 2013, 3:13 PM UTC

zoba wrote: post #5

In many cases, thinking that we are limited is itself a limiting factor. I've noticed this with self confidence as well. Its interesting because suppose there were two people who were both identical in capability - the one with confidence will do much better. He/She will put ideas out, will come across as more impressive to other people, and in the long term grow faster than the unconfident person because of it... I…

Confidence plays a massive role in success. If you can balance the fine line between confidence and arrogance you'll find more doors open up to you than ever before.