Todos somos un poco irracionales

Who are we in the context of human evolution?

Approximately 300,000 years ago, a human being emerged on Earth who is not so different from us in fundamental respects. Imagine bringing this individual from prehistory into our present: with the right clothing, knowledge of a modern language and an occupation, he would be almost indistinguishable from anyone else today. This reflection leads us to consider how, despite the dizzying advance of technology, our mental processes have not evolved at the same speed.

Why doesn't our mind adapt to the current pace of change?

Technology and the pace of life have advanced by leaps and bounds, yet our mental structure remains almost the same as that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. This gap is due to the fact that brain and cognitive evolution is an extremely slow process compared to technological development. The tools we have today, such as smartphones and instant access to information, counteract our ancient instinctive and survival abilities, but they can also overload our minds.

What role do impulses play in our behavior today?

Even today, our impulses play a crucial role in the way we act. These impulses are remnants of our hunter-gatherer heritage: reacting quickly to immediate threats or opportunities often translates into short-term decisions. Modern marketing knows this very well and takes advantage of it, creating stimuli that seek to capture our attention and manipulate our consumption behavior.

How to become a behavioral economics wizard?

The art of managing behavioral economics lies in understanding and channeling innate impulses and behaviors to your own advantage. This approach focuses not only on self-analysis, but on intelligently employing these human tendencies to make more informed and beneficial decisions both personally and professionally.

Why should you learn to control your impulses to be more effective?

• Identifying Impulses: First, it is crucial to identify what your impulses are and how they affect you. You could keep a log of situations where you feel you make impulsive decisions.

• Developing Strategies: Establish strategies to counteract these impulses. For example, if you tend to buy impulsively, you could set a time to wait before making a purchase.

• Creative Leverage: Learn to use these impulses to foster positive habits. For example, if you struggle to motivate yourself to study, use techniques such as immediate rewards after intense studying to fuel the drive to persevere.

The key is not to deny your impulses, but to transform them into tools for personal growth and control of your behavioral economics.

In short, understanding that despite our shared evolutionary roots with hunter-gatherers, we can educate ourselves and train our minds in new and adaptive ways. We encourage you to take a proactive approach: analyze your behavioral patterns, be aware of your decisions and master those impulses to enhance your personal and professional development.