The British Psychological Society asked world's leading psychologists to reveal one nagging thing they still don't understand about themselves. Their answers (in 150 words or less) are a lot of fun to read.
Sue Blackmore says she is still fooled by the idea that she has a "soul, a spirit, a mystical entity."
Paul Broks has gone from asking himself the "preoccupying question, What am I? to another, What should I do?"
David Buss is surprised that he succumbs to "well-documented psychological biases, even though I'm acutely aware of these biases," such as "believing that I will be happy for a long time after some accomplishment (e.g. publishing a new book), when in fact the happiness dissipates more quickly than anticipated."
Robert Cialdini says his "most nagging error" is overcommitting. "With that threshold crossed, I've no longer had the time or patience to plan, think, or toil hard enough to be proud of the resultant work."
Stephen Kosslyn asks, "Why am I a Satiator in some cases, and an Addict in others?"
Paul Rozin says, "Every night, I bring home a pile of work to do in the evening and early morning. I have been doing this for over 50 years. I always think I will actually get through all or most of it, and I almost never get even half done. But I keep expecting to accomplish it all. What a fool I am."
Norbert Schwarz says incidental feelings still affect him, even though he is aware of them. "Some 25 years ago Jerry Clore and I studied how gloomy weather makes one's whole life look bad — unless one becomes aware of the weather and attributes one's gloomy mood to the gloomy sky, which eliminates the influence. You'd think I learned that lesson and now know how to deal with gloomy skies. I don't, they still get me."
The other answers are equally fascinating.
One nagging thing you still don't understand about yourself
(Via Mind Hacks)
