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The design of the brain should – in theory at least – work in our favor and for our general wellbeing. In the vast of majority of cases it does, but sometimes the road to hell that the brain follows is paved by its good intentions. To put it simply, even though the brain operates in a manner that it believes will ensure the survival and improve the quality of life, the results of its decisions are the exact opposite. It is necessary to highlight the fact that the brain functions fall under two categories, namely automatic responses to certain outside stimuli and the voluntary reactions over which we actually exercise a certain control. Let’s find out more about our own mind’s tricks and how you can avoid falling prey to them.

1. The brain tells you that you have a lot more control over your actions then you actually do

At first glance you may think this type of mistake applies mainly when you are under the influence – narcotics, alcohol and other thinking impairment substance – but the truth is that it occurs very often. Whenever we experience success or a positive event unfolds, the mind suddenly becomes over optimistic regarding our chances of effectively beating any challenge, irrespective of how difficult it is. For instance, when we take on a diet and we exercise optimal control over our eating impulses for the initial couple of days, the brain suddenly makes us believe that the effort required for abstinence is a joke. Consequentially, without staying focused, the ability to refrain from unhealthy eating habits decreases and then comes the failure.

2. The overflow of useless automatic thoughts and correlations

Thinking is an activity that the brain is always engaged in and, furthermore, every thought represents a physical event, namely the electrical impulses of the neurons. However, in the abundance of thoughts, parts of it are essentially useless. If you try to chase all trains of thought or, on the contrary, you let the unproductive ones take over the mind, you will wake up to realize that you haven’t paid enough attention to the ones that are really important.

3. Fear is the mind killer, so don’t overanalyze your phobias

Rationalizing your individual fears is only lucrative up to a certain point, namely placing the factors that scare you in perspective and coming up with effective solutions in neutralizing them. However, the mind tends to do this “really cute” thing where it constantly comes up with nightmarish scenarios until you are completely paralyzed by fear and you feel like there is no way out. If you find yourself in the situation where thinking about the fear-generating factor does not help you elaborate a counterstrike, it is best to put it aside.

4. Partying is the best way to forget about your troubles, says the mind

In fact, that is perfectly true: there is no better way to forget about the problems and worries of day to day life than a night at the club with your friends. The only problem is that forgetting about the problems doesn’t also make them go away. Sure enough, every once in a while putting everything on hold using “diversions” might help you get a better perspective on things and allow you to reevaluate your decisions, but once this becomes a habit it will have major repercussions when the problems pile up.

5. It will tell you that you’re a visionary and a mind reader

In other words, it will offer you a false notion that you already know what your interlocutor is thinking, in spite of the overwhelming lack of evidence to attest it. Therefore, you will no longer bother to actually find out whether you are right or wrong about it and you will act according to your own ideas. Remember, it is actually better to accept that you have no clue about the other person’s thoughts and try to learn rather than accept a preposterous, self-made opinion with no actual basis.

In spite of all fitness campaigns and the effort to raise awareness about the negative consequences of obesity, most of us still spend way too much time sitting down. While a great number of people are forced to sit down for extended periods due to the nature of their job, there is also a portion of the population which can be classified as lazy folks. However, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main reasons why so many individuals are gaining weight nowadays.

Not to worry though, as we will present you several great tricks that will stimulate your metabolisms and burn some calories while doing nothing. It is important to note that you should not view the following tips as a replacement for exercise and a healthy diet. Overall, they represent a means of increasing your calorie burning potential.

1. Replace the office chair

Granted, organizational psychologists all agree that the ergonomic office chairs contribute to increased employee productivity. However, if you are trying to shed some pounds and do not have any back problems, then a suggestion is to replace the chair with alternatives that stimulate weight loss for an hour per day. The perfect example in this direction is the stability ball, as it requires you to use most of the core muscle just to sit down and helps tone your abs and back muscles at the same time.

2. Keep the temperature in your office low

Did you know that the body consumes a lot of calories just to keep warm? If you have your own office, then a solution to help you burn more calories is to maintain the temperature within low, yet comfortable levels. Even though this theory has not been confirmed through scientific means beyond any shadow of a doubt, clinical research shows that when people are cold, the body starts sucking fat out of the rest of the body to fuel its needs (brown fat tissue hypothesis).

3. Drink plenty of water

This is by far the easiest way to ensure a higher amount of calories burned: by staying hydrated (drinking plenty of water) you are making sure that all bodily functions are working at optimal levels. Research performed so far suggests that you need to ingest a sufficient amount of fluids so that you urinate once an hour. (Aha, I think you realize the importance since you are reaching for a bottle of water now while reading this article!)

4. Never refuse a coffee break

If you love coffee and “wake-me-up” drinks in general, then you should take the infamous coffee break whenever possible. Coffee and caffeinated drinks in general are known for their ability to boost the metabolic rate. However, not all such beverages are created equal and some of them – flavored drinks in general – contain more sugar than you should have during a normal day. At the same time, you should refrain from drinking too much caffeine if you are not hydrated, as that will slow down your metabolism.

5. Laugh more

Even though work in general is more likely to get you stressed, you should do your best to smile and laugh more. Laughing causes the heart rate to rise by at least 10% and, as a consequence, increases your metabolic rate so that you will continue to burn calories further on. In addition, laughter is the best medicine against stress and it associated symptoms.

Using persuasion techniques in order to superimpose our will or to convince the other person to aid our cause has practical applications in a wide array of fields, from politics to marketing and from hostage negotiations to plain social interactions.

However, even though certain proficient persuaders don’t follow predefined strategy of utilizing these methods, they are simply gifted at swaying others. In other words, for them persuasion comes naturally. The good news is that you can also learn and practice persuasion techniques and, in time, master the fine arts of subtle manipulation. Let’s take a quick tour of the basic 10 ways that could help you state your case better.

1. Make good use of questions in order to achieve an equilateral comprehension

Before you can even consider trying to persuade a person, you need to gather sufficient information about him/her. Find out what makes him tick, what his personal goals are, what he is interested in, so on and so forth. And, because you don’t really have the innate capability of communicating or comprehending the needs of your interlocutors, you will have to employ the aid of carefully conceived questions. However, you should refrain from invasive inquiries and attempt to gather information via more casual and general topics. Otherwise, the other person will simply raise all his defenses and you will not be able to get what you want from him.

2. Create a positive atmosphere that promotes communication

People are always more likely to communicate when the atmosphere is positive because they feel safe. Therefore, don’t blindside them with your requests and don’t try to ambush with other persuasion techniques until you are absolutely certain they feel comfortable. For this purpose, smiles, sincere compliments and an overall welcoming attitude are vital devices.

3. Emulate the speech and behavioral patterns of the person

Imitating the behavioral and speech patterns of the interlocutor is one of the oldest tricks in the book of persuasion. The principal concept behind this technique implies conveying the sense that you are truly able to understand the other person. At the same time, mimicking acts at the subconscious level by building a rapport between you and your conversation partner. Emulate gestures such as crossed arms or legs and the tone of the voice, but be careful not to make it too obvious.

4. Confer him irrefutable proof for the validity of your point of view

Few things work better in persuasion than actual evidence to support your claims. For example, if you are trying to sell a certain product, then you can make good use of customer testimonials to underline its advantage. In addition to that, make sure that you are prepared to counter the potential negative comments in the testimonials and justify why certain objections are unreasonable. Furthermore, the emphasis should be placed on the advantages rather than the properties and/or features.

5. Establish yourself as an expert on the matter

It is necessary to point out that presenting yourself as an authority on the matter in discussion should be delayed until you’re halfway through the conversation. In fact, it’s an excellent technique to utilize right after you have explained the viewpoints of other people because it detracts the interlocutor from the persuasion attempt just before he can realize what you are trying to achieve. Now, don’t think that you will need advanced college classes to gain expertise on a matter. All you need to do is get informed and gather details from as many sources as possible. Nevertheless, don’t act like a know-it-all when you are not 100% sure that you are right.

Teachers have seen just about everything when it comes to students cheating. Students are becoming creative and will resort to anything and everything to cheat on tests, papers and in school. They fail to realize the consequences of their actions and the impending dismay that can ensue as a result of unfairness and academy dishonesty. Here are the top 10 ways students decide to cheat.

1. Cheat sheets:

In the past students were clever to bring their own paper to their tests and exams. They know that each teacher will not inspect every single page to make sure that cheat sheets are not included. Now students are more resourceful. They download cheat sheets on mp3 players, cell phones and other media devices. A teacher can never know unless they confiscate the item from the student.

2. Talking:

Either through whisper or by talking when the teacher is away, this is common in cheating practices. When unsure, students will ask for answers from their neighbour when given the chance.

3. Glare:

All it takes is a simple glare at another test or paper to copy the essentials down. Teachers and professors now separate students by leaving one extra seat between them. Will that be enough to stop students from glaring? Students are now more tactful and use excuses such as a drop of pen to glare.

4. Buy papers online:

Many students buy their papers online or from firms. They believe that they could trust the company to write “customized” papers tailored to their needs. Many papers are often plagiarized and are not cited. They mostly store reused papers that are circulated on the internet. Teachers and professors have plagiarism detectors such as Turninin.com which compares a paper to a wider database of papers for similarities.

5. Washroom breaks:

Washroom breaks are now supervised by staff members who closely monitor student activities. Many students would use the washroom to open up their cell phone and call up a friend to give more detailed information on a certain question they are stuck on. Having a personal chaperon, helps eliminate such chances. It is sad how low students will stoop.

A practical joke, also known as a prank is a mischievous trick played on a person, especially one that causes the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes or pranks are typically light hearted, reversible or non-permanent, and made to make people feel foolish or victimized to a certain degree, although in some practical jokes there could be an inherent strain of cruelty present. The term “practical” refers to the fact that the joke consists of someone doing something physical, instead of a verbal or written joke. For example, the joker who is setting up and performing the practical joke, might hang a bucket of water above a doorway and rig the bucket using pulleys such, when the door opens, the bucket dumps the water. The joker would then wait for the victim to walk through the doorway and be drenched by the bucket of water. There are many such pranks or practical jokes and here we present a list of 10 top practical jokes for you to play on your friends.

1. “Bottle Swap” – Change the bottle:

This is a very hilarious prank you can play on someone even though it can get bit cruel. This joke can be played in many ways by switching different bottles. Suppose your friend is just having a mild beer and he went out to receive a call or for any reason outside keeping the bottle in the table. You can just change the content of the bottle with something wired to drink may be a bitter liquid or something. This cruel prank can be used with many bottles of varying substances. Take one bottle’s ingredients and swap it with another with similar properties. An effective example could be swapping hair remover into a bottle labelled as shampoo.

2. Swap the Restroom Door Labels:

This is another interesting practical joke that can be played on someone you want to make a fool of. Jus stand outside a public restroom spot and watch few people going into it. Once you find the entire area cleared for a while just replace the “Men” label with the “Women” label and just see the fun standing outside. But keep in mind that there are at least few people inside both the rooms. This pranks can be extremely hilarious as the reaction of the victim when they come out of the wrong door will be worth watching.

3. “Do Not touch”

This is a unique prank where all you have to do is instigate people to do what you want them to do. Make a “Do Not Touch” board and place it on a very common object which is just a regular item. Jus record the people’s reaction. Some will be confused and some amazed. Where as many will actually come and try touching the object but with hesitation and that will be the real fun.

4. “Wrong Subscription”

This is also a very useful trick but a bit long one. In this trick you won’t get instant result but this is real fun. What you have to do is subscribe for some wired magazine or some damn serious journal to a wrong address i.e. to the address on which you want to play the trick. For example, subscribe a Playboy magazine in one of your studious girl classmate’s address. The reaction and the state of mind would be worth watching.

5. “Automatic Door”

This is a very funny trick you can play on loads of people. Just go and stand near a public place where there is one common entrance door. Stick on the door in bold letters “Walk Through, Door Automated”. Just wait and watch the fun outside. You would see a number of people actually coming close to the door and really waiting for the door to open automatically. Many will rush into the door and bash themselves to the door.

According to lots of football fans, Ronaldo is one of the best football players in the world. He is so fast and amazing. He can’t be stopped by anyone. He’s simply the best. Here you can see some of the best goals scored by him.

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Learn some amazing quirky science tricks. You may use them to impress somebody or to be a magician in front of your kids. Either way, the tricks are unforgettable and unbelievable.

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