14 Psychological Facts About Human Behavior

The world is full of different people from different places who observe different cultures, value different ideas, and follow different paths. No matter how different we seem, at the core of our being, we have a tremendous amount in common. We share physical characteristics, of course, like one head, two eyes, ten fingers, and just as many toes, but we are also bound by psychological similarities. Even if we live on opposite sides of the world, we all share common behaviors that affect the choices we make, the people we like, and the goals we pursue. Yet few people understand the psychological roots of our shared humanity. Some of the most “human” behaviors are routinely ignored and dismissed, leading some people to ultimately defy human nature. For example, if you analyze common social norms, you might discover that our society is structured around huge misconceptions about how real humans think, feel, and work. With that in mind, let’s dive into fourteen interesting, and sometimes surprising, facts about the very behaviors that make us human.

1. The Work Paradox

Does money make us more or less motivated to perform at our best? You might think a big paycheck will motivate you to excel at your job, but the opposite is more often true. People tend to work harder on projects when they are not paid enough — or anything at all. In other words, as strange as it sounds, earning a paycheck may ultimately decrease your motivation. Why? Because your intentions have changed. When you accept payment for something, it’s no longer a passion project. It becomes something you do “for the money,” and that makes it far less intrinsically motivating. Even though you might be hoping for a big payoff, the best things you do in life won’t earn you a penny.

2. The Downside of Preparation Before facing a challenge

Many people like to prepare a backup plan — a Plan A and a Plan B. You prep as much as possible so that you stand the best chance of succeeding, but what if your backup plan is hurting your chances of success? Turns out, your Plan A is more likely to fail if you spend time preparing another option. Here’s why. Making a Plan B entertains the possibility that Plan A will not work. When that happens, your confidence in the first plan starts to decline, and that makes you more likely to fail. As strange as it sounds, being prepared doesn’t always work in your favor.

3. Unnatural Violence

Many people think humans are violent by nature. That we’re somehow programmed to hurt, fight, and claim victory over other creatures. But a closer examination of human psychology reveals humans are actually programmed, not to be violent toward one another, but to experience a powerful emotion called empathy. Some of the best evidence for this idea comes directly from your brain, where structures called mirror neurons allow you to understand other people’s behaviors. Mirror neurons play an important role in advanced cognitive abilities, like the use of language, and explain the human brain’s incredible capacity for emotion. It’s easy to look at all the violence in the world and think poorly of humankind, but remember: caring for other people is a part of who we are.

4. The Language of Expressions

There are hundreds of languages in the world today, spoken by all kinds of people around the world, yet there’s one language that almost every single person knows and understands. The only universal language on the planet… is the language of expressions. No matter where someone is from or how they were raised, a smile or a frown sends a message we can all understand. The language of expressions hardly varies across cultures and social groups. Why? Because human expressions are ingrained within our psychology.

5. Self-Replicating Emotions

Most of the time, human emotions are self-replicating. In other words, happy people tend to make happy choices, while lonely and miserable people behave in a way that represents their negative state of mind. Of course, we’re simplifying the issue here, but it’s important to remember how your actions influence your view of the world. Happiness creates happiness, and misery creates misery. Spread any emotion into the world, and the world will deliver the same emotion back to you.

6. The Evolution of Psychology

You may not realize it, but your behaviors, preferences, and instincts are all evolutionary adaptations, designed to give you an advantage of some kind in your current environment. When you hear the word “adaptation,” you might think about physical qualities, like giraffes evolving longer necks to eat from the tallest trees. But many of the things you do every day are products of the same evolutionary process. In other words, what we call “human behaviors” actually evolved over millions of years, allowing humans to become the successful species we are today.

7. Unconscious Healing

Your body is an incredibly complex system, yet many of the things of you do every day are designed to make you unhealthy. It’s become more and more acceptable in our society to sacrifice physical health in favor of professional, financial, or social advantages. For example, you might work hours into the night, ruining your eyesight and damaging your posture, just to get ahead in the workplace. Lucky for us, our bodies have incredible self-healing capabilities. Natural repair mechanisms are constantly working to fix and undo the damage you do to yourself every day… and your brain controls, streamlines, and oversees it all. Of course, almost every one of these processes happens unconsciously. We take these systems for granted because we don’t see, hear, or feel them. But without them, our self-destructive choices would destroy us in no time.

8. Outgroup Homogeneity

Humans have an exceptional ability to distinguish between members of our social groups, but we often struggle to identify more diverse characteristics. Thanks to a psychological phenomenon called outgroup homogeneity, we have trouble distinguishing between less familiar faces. As you gain more experience with a larger variety of traits, you become more perceptive and observant. But until then, a large group of people may look very similar in your eyes. This is not something anybody wants to hear — and may be considered offensive in certain contexts — but it’s a common psychological bias and a surprising fact of human behavior.

9. Music Alters Perception

Your favorite playlist changes how you perceive the world. Studies have shown that music strongly influences unconscious perceptions of the world around us. While the same songs don’t affect everyone, in the same way, the act of listening to music is known to radical cause fluctuations in mood, changes in perspective, and even psychological biases. Think of the music you listen to each day. What genres do you like? What musicians do find the most impactful? Even if you hardly pay attention to the music you listen to, each of those songs influences how you interact with the world.

10. Understanding Evil

What does it mean for someone to be “evil?” The term evil is often tied to specific people. We look at someone's history of immoral behavior and treat that person as if they are rotten to their core. But that’s rarely how it works. Instead, evil behavior is usually created by destructive environmental influences, rather than innately evil dispositions. This doesn’t give anyone an excuse to do evil things, but it’s important to consider where evil comes before we can understand why it exists.

11. The Lie Detector

Are you a good liar? Many people think that they’re convincing liars, but here’s the truth. You’re probably not a good liar; other people just don’t know what lying looks or sounds like. In other words, bad liars don’t know when they’re being lied to. Unless you’ve been specially trained or have a lot of experience manipulating other people, you’re probably not as good of a liar as you think.

12. Anxiety Is Good

In recent years, anxiety has moved to the forefront of modern psychology. People have become more aware of what anxiety looks and feels like, and we’ve begun acknowledging the role anxiety plays in our lives. But anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. It’s often framed as an illness to be cured, but anxiety is an important psychological adaptation, which gives humans an edge over other creatures. At its roots, anxiety protects us from danger and motivates forethinking behavior, helping us make safe and intelligent decisions. Anxiety can indeed be a problem for many people. If left unchecked or neglected, anxiety can even be paralyzing. But if managed in a healthy way, your anxiety gives you a greater advantage than you realize.

13. Healthy Sarcasm

Are you a sarcastic person? Sarcasm is often criticized as negative or insulting, but the use of sarcasm can be a good thing. Being sarcastic shows that you are alert, attentive, and quick on your feet. Any kind of humor, even the cynical kind, also displays a high level of intelligence, proving that your brain is working at its best. It’s not always fun to be on the receiving end of a sarcastic remark, but at least you know your brain is working as it should.

14. Moody Styles

Without realizing it, most people use clothing to communicate how they’re feeling. Someone who is happy might wear brighter, lighter, and more textural clothing. On the other hand, if someone is having a bad day, they may choose something darker, baggier, and more comfortable. Even if someone is trying to hide their mood or feelings, their clothes usually give away more than they think. So, pay attention to the way people dress on a daily basis. If you can pick up subtle changes in their style, you may discover a window into their real thoughts and feelings.

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