Why Schedule Synching is a Better Approach to Productivity Than 'Just Say No' [Best Reads]

In my work as a behavioral designer, I come across important stories on how psychology influences our behavior. Every week, I share my round-up of the most important stories at the intersection of psychology, technology and business. I hope you enjoy them!

Hypocrites: How to Survive in a World That's Full of Them (NirAndFar) Applying different standards to people is natural. The problem with hypocrites is that they employ double standards out of habit.

How to Turn Off Harmful Stress Like a Switch (YouTube) How do you deal with stress? Did you know there's a bullet-proof method for disarming stress?

"Just Say No" is Bad Productivity Advice (Medium) The trouble with the "just say no" maxim is that it doesn't account for its consequences for jobs involving schedule making and schedule taking.

To Counteract Propaganda Should Look to Lessons from Advertising (Scientific American) Human nature is such that facts alone are not enough. People react emotionally to information that they think they already know and actively protect that knowledge.

I taught my 5th-graders how to spot fake news. Now they won't stop fact-checking me. (Vox) The need to teach students how to vet information is only more urgent now, in the age of "fake news."

'See Something, Say Something Online Act' Punishes Big Tech for Not Snitching (Reason) This new legislation says any interactive computer service provider will lose Section 230 protections if they fail to report any known user activity that might be deemed "suspicious".

Happy reading!

- Nir

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Nir Eyal is formerly a Lecturer in Marketing at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. His first book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, is an international bestseller and taught companies how to design more engaging products. His second book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, reveals the Achilles' heel of distraction and provides a guidebook for getting the best of technology without letting it get the best of us. Nir blogs at NirAndFar.com