The Influential Mind summary

Imagine for a moment that you’re a pediatrician going about your day when you encounter a couple of parents who don’t believe their toddler should be vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). You explain that it’s a very safe and important treatment, but the parents tell you that have heard that the vaccine can raise the risk of their child becoming autistic.

Unfortunately, this is one of those prejudices that have taken root and is proving hard to get rid of.

What goes on in a person’s head when they listen to a politician’s speech? This was the question researchers at Princeton had on their minds, and thanks to MRI scans, they discovered that listeners often feel connected to the rest of the audience.

During a speech,  people’s brains synchronize, which is why audience members tend to react the same way at particular points of a speech.

It’s a classic dating move: your partner doesn’t want to commit, so you cut things off – causing them to miss you and come running back. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes. But making that move to step away can still feel very difficult and counterintuitive.

The reason it feels so counterintuitive is because our instincts are always drawn toward pleasure, not discomfort.

Most people wouldn’t call someone a control freak out of kindness. For the most part, people tend to avoid control freaks, as they’ll usually try to dominate the lives of those around them while micromanaging their own.

But actually, having control of one’s own life is another very instinctual desire, as it’s one that gives us happiness.

Have you ever wished you’d learned a more practical skill in school? Like how to build and upholster a chair, or stitch your own trousers?

The reason these sorts of jobs remain so appealing is due to another instinctive characteristic of the brain – one that places a higher value on things we make ourselves.

When you take a plane ride somewhere, do you pay attention to the potentially life-saving safety instructions given by the stewards? Next time you’re about to take off, chances are you’ll see that no one seems to care about this vital information.

You may think that the reason people don’t care is that they’ve probably heard the safety routine dozens of times before. But as the instructions vary from plane to plane, there are still important details to be aware of.