Brain Food #509
Committing to who we are
Thoughts of the day
Good morning.
A research study conducted at the University of California revealed something fascinating about how our behaviour can be affected by who we perceive ourselves to be.
In their experiment, the researchers ran a survey across different groups regarding the 2008 U.S. election, asking them whether they planned on voting, but phrasing their question differently for each:
The first group was asked, “How important is it to you to vote in the upcoming election?”
The second was asked, “How important is it to you to be a voter in the upcoming election?”
The group that was asked whether it was important for them to be a voter, also had a higher turnout at the ballot. Similar research revealed similar results
People’s desire to shape and justify their own identities influenced their very behaviour. It can be surprising what we can achieve, when we fortify our sense of self. When we commit not to what we want to do, but to who we are, even if we are not there yet, then the actions will follow.
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