Four [Random] Thoughts Vol. 8 — The Power of First Decisions
1 On the Power of First Decisions
Have you ever wondered how you became a fan of some gadgets, like your mobile phone, be it an iPhone, a Galaxy, or any other brand? You're not alone, and you know you'll part with your hard-earn dollars when they released the next version in a few months. Or worst, you'll get it on credit. Why?
If you think about all the clothes, and shoes in your closet, your perfumes or cosmetics, your car, your bike, and pretty much everything you own or get, like those daily Unicorn Frappuccino Blended Crème from Starbucks. Why you keep them or buy them? The answer might be traced back to a first decision, not to a rational one considering price Vs. value; or other attributes.
Scary, I know. Yet it makes sense, for it is the way our brains are wired.
This topic is masterfully explained in this mind bending book: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely.
"The power of the first decision can have a long lasting effect…"
- Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational
2 The Failed VIP Experience in Movie Theaters in Mexico
I love watching movies, and I realize that I go less and less to movie theaters. The movies are not the culprit, I still love that moment when they turn out the lights and the movie begins.
The problem is that going to the movies in Mexico is full of stupid, annoying little things. A few years back, we started going to the VIP movie theaters; that feature reclining, larger, and the killer feature for us: numbered seats. We use a cool app, Cine+ to get our tickets, skip the lines, and watch the movie from the seats we want.
Some of the downsides of these VIP movie theaters is that they include service to your seat, and are expensive.
Yesterday's experience was particularly bad. The obnoxious couple next to us, talked during the movie, and ordered a complete lunch. Then, they call the servers two more times because they didn't have enough napkins, and one of the drinks was not what they ordered… 25 freaking minutes into the movie!
You paid a premium entrance fee, and instead of listening to cool music, or enjoying previews of upcoming movies; you're bombarded with crappy and loud commercials, and promos to get the newest Oreo popcorns.
Cinemex, and Cinepolis are completely missing the point.
3 Make People Laugh
There are many resources, from books, and blog posts to YouTube videos, on how to improve your public speaking; like this New York Times' piece on How to Give a Better Speech: Talk to a Dog, or these 3 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking. The one thing I’ll add, and wholeheartedly recommend during your next public speaking is to make people laugh.
Don't try to be a standup comedian, that may be even harder than delivering your presentation. You don't have to keep them laughing all the time; maybe just once or twice during your presentation.
It works for me, I feel better, and more connected to the audience if I make them laugh.
4 Deciding What to Wear
Deciding what to wear every morning, or what to pack for your trip feels like a waste of time. And since reaching a point where you own several sets of the same outfit, a la Zuckerberg or Jobs is difficult; here's my current process:
Check out Google weather for the next week, or the duration of your trip, on your city or destination. Based on that, select the most appropriate shoes and jacket/sweater. Just pick one of each! You'll wear them the whole trip or the whole week or period of time you decide.
For the fashion conscious, you may even pick a matching belt, and handbag.
Then a single pair of pants, enough underwear, and t-shirts or shirts. I usually pick one t-shirt per day. If the pants are light-colored, or you are clumsy like me, and might spill your ice-cream or drink on them; add another pair.
Then, during the week or trip, all decisions on what to wear are trivial; I'll use all the clothes I picked, so why bother selecting one; I just pick the one on top of the clean pile, and wear it.
I usually select Google-branded t-shirts for work meetings, and presentations, and are careful to not use them on a previous day.
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