Selfish, Scared and Stupid by Flanagan, Kieran, Gregory, Dan -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Epigraph Title Page Copyright Dedication About The Authors Acknowledgements Introduction

Who we are and how we came to write this book What really drives human behaviour? Who this book is for

Part I: We are all selfish, scared and stupid

Chapter 1: A matter of survival

Selflessness is a recipe for extinction Selfish is hard to resist Fearlessness leads to extinction Fear: one of the most motivating emotions we possess Complication and complexity lead to extinction Don’t fight your nature: work with it

Chapter 2: The Happy Delusion

What is The Happy Delusion? How does this delusion form? The qualities of the mythical hero But it is a delusion and delusions cost us

Chapter 3: Why failure happens

The truth is, we set ourselves up for failure Discipline is hard work Human irrationality Beliefs are hard to shift Our brains are over-confident Laboratory conditions don’t exist We over-focus on results Failure is an error in design

Part II: Think selfish

Chapter 4: Tell me WIIFM

Selfishness can be a force for good Build identity congruence Create values alignment Demonstrate a connection to broader goals Show them what’s in it for their communities Offset the cost Demonstrate that your issue is my issue The real question is, ‘What’s in it for them?’

Chapter 5: Offer a reward

On carrots and sticks The psychology of rewards The importance of acknowledgement Rewards must be valuable in context The greatest rewards are unexpected The difference between ‘more’ and ‘better’ When rewards stop working

Chapter 6: Make it enjoyable

It’s not just girls who want to have fun Make it a game The yawning chasm between pleasure and pain The ‘no pain no gain’ myth Eat the chocolate frog Focus on the boring bits Why so serious?

Part III: Think scared

Chapter 7: Flip the fear

Fear drives change Some fears cost us Learn to see fear as a lever for positive change Define and contain fear Instil appropriate fear Rebalance the fear

Chapter 8: Link it to the known

Familiarity is just so familiar Something like an analogy Link it to the past The language of change Perception is everything

Chapter 9: Show them they’re not alone

We are a social species Social media exists for a reason There is safety in numbers The desire to be ‘normal’ Help us ‘fit in’ Connect us to each other Connect us to something bigger than ourselves Watch our six Show us the love

Part IV: Think stupid

Chapter 10: Make it simple

Confusion paralyses us Complexity doesn’t equal intelligence We’re tuning out and turning off Too hard is just too hard Curators needed! Will it fit on a Post-it Note? Take the ‘six-year-old’ test Take something off Simplify the steps Use fewer words Basic needs are pretty basic

Chapter 11: Make it easy (lazy)

Human beings are notoriously lazy Laziness is the mother of invention How might lazy be efficient? Ease raises confidence and competence

Chapter 12: Make it hard not to

Changing opinions versus changing behaviour We will resist change if we can The rise of behavioural economics Place barriers in the path of unwanted behaviour Limit the available options Frustrate previous behaviour Make the preferred behaviour more available Control the environment

Selfish, scared and stupid in the real world

For selfish, scared and stupid entrepreneurs For selfish, scared and stupid leaders For selfish, scared and stupid teams For selfish, scared and stupid behavioural change For selfish, scared and stupid sales For your selfish, scared and stupid self We are all selfish, scared and stupid … thank goodness

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