We unwittingly judge products by their boxes, books by their covers, and even corporation’s annual reports by their nice glossy finish. – Leonard Mlodinow
We perceive, we remember our experiences, we make judgments, we act – and in all of these endeavors, we are influenced by factors that we aren’t aware of. – Leonard Mlodinow
The pitch, timbre, volume, speed, and cadence of your voice, the speed with which you speak, and even the way you modulate pitch and loudness, are all hugely influential factors in how convincing you are and how people judge your state of mind and character. – Leonard Mlodinow
I believe there is true expertise in some endeavors, and not in others. There is obviously no such thing as expertise in predicting the results of coin tosses, but there is expertise in predicting the behavior of lasers. – Leonard Mlodinow
Just as our brains fill in the details of an image our eyes record only roughly, so, too, do our brains employ tricks we are unaware of to fill in details about people we don’t know intimately. – Leonard Mlodinow
We all know that looks matter, and modern politicians have always assumed that their battles are decided on both substance and image. – Leonard Mlodinow
Every aspect of our lives plays out in two versions: one conscious, which we are constantly aware of, and the other unconscious, which remains hidden from us. – Leonard Mlodinow
Scientists attach great importance to the human capacity for spoken language. But we also have a parallel track of nonverbal communication, which may reveal more than our carefully chosen words, and sometimes be at odds with them. – Leonard Mlodinow
Nonverbal communication forms a social language that is in many ways richer and more fundamental than our words. – Leonard Mlodinow
People intuitively realize that there is strength in numbers and take comfort in the company of others, especially in times of anxiety or need. – Leonard Mlodinow
Our subliminal mental processes operate outside awareness because they arise in these portions of our mind that are inaccessible to our conscious self; their inaccessibility is due to the architecture of the brain rather than because they have been subject to Freudian motivational forces like repression. – Leonard Mlodinow
Social connection is such a basic feature of human experience that when we are deprived of it, we suffer. – Leonard Mlodinow
Non-human primates spend hours a day grooming each other. And with humans, touching is also important. It’s a way to form bonds and connect in modern society. But you can also speed up the use of conscious purposes once you’re aware of that, and it can be manipulated. – Leonard Mlodinow
One of the most surprising forms of nonverbal communication is the way we automatically adjust the amount of time we spend looking into another’s eyes as a function of our relative social position. – Leonard Mlodinow
In all our perceptions, from vision to hearing, to the pictures we build of people’s character, our unconscious mind starts from whatever objective data is available to us – usually spotty – and helps to shape and construct the more complete picture we consciously perceive. – Leonard Mlodinow
The attacks on global warming are no different than the attacks the cigarettes companies used to use to say that cigarettes don’t cause cancer. – Leonard Mlodinow
Intentionality and talent always matter. An extraordinary feat is certainly made more likely by someone’s focus, hard work, etc. But chance also matters. – Leonard Mlodinow
We should keep in mind that it is easy to concoct stories explaining the past or to become confident about dubious scenarios of the future. We should view both explanations and prophecies with skepticism. – Leonard Mlodinow
We all know that looks matter. What most of us don’t understand is just how much looks matter and how difficult it is for us to ignore a person’s appearance when making a social judgment. – Leonard Mlodinow
French culture is known for many great attributes, some of which probably have nothing to do with food, wine, and romance. – Leonard Mlodinow
Listeners instinctively detect that when we lower the usual pitch of our voice, we are sad, and when we raise it, we are angry or fearful. – Leonard Mlodinow
Politicians often misuse science for political ends and to pursue their own agenda. – Leonard Mlodinow
We routinely participate in elaborate nonverbal exchanges even when we are not consciously aware of doing so. – Leonard Mlodinow
Social rejection doesn’t just cause emotional pain; it affects our physical being. – Leonard Mlodinow
One of the things your unconscious mind does for you – and it’s a great gift – is it gives you extra courage to view the outer world and it does that by giving you an extra-special view of yourself. – Leonard Mlodinow
Touch is our most highly developed sense when we are born, and it remains a fundamental mode of communication throughout a baby’s first year and an important influence throughout a person’s life. – Leonard Mlodinow
If memories were indeed like what a camera records, they could be forgotten, or they could fade so that they are no longer clear and vivid. But it would be difficult to explain how people could have memories that are both clear and vivid while also being wrong. Yet that happens, and it is not infrequent. – Leonard Mlodinow
I’ve always loved science, as far back as I can remember. I was very, very curious about how everything worked: the world, the physical universe, chemistry, law. So it was only natural to be curious about how our mind works. – Leonard Mlodinow
The truth is that our unconscious minds are active, purposeful, and independent. Hidden they may be, but their effects are anything but, for they play a critical role in shaping the way our conscious minds experience and respond to the world. – Leonard Mlodinow
