Richard Wiseman > Quotes

“Happiness doesn't just flow from success; it actually causes it.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Buy Experiences Not Goods. Want to buy happiness? Then spend your hard-earned cash on experiences. Go out for a meal. Go to a concert, cinema or theatre. Go on holiday. Go and learn how to pole dance. Go paintballing. Go bungee jumping. In fact, get involved in anything that provides an opportunity to do things with others, and then tell even more people about it afterwards. When it comes to happiness, remember that it is experiences that represent really good value for money.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“materialism takes root in early childhood, and is driven mainly by low self-esteem.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“When you gossip about another person, listeners unconsciously associate you with the characteristics you are describing, ultimately leading to those characteristics’ being “transferred” to you. So, say positive and pleasant things about friends and colleagues, and you are seen as a nice person. In contrast, constantly complain about their failings, and people will unconsciously apply the negative traits and incompetence to you.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“We do not love people so much for the good they have done us, as for the good we do them.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Visualize Yourself Doing, Not Achieving.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Our beliefs do not sit passively in our brains waiting to be confirmed or contradicted by incoming information. Instead, they play a key role in shaping how we see the world.”
― Richard Wiseman, Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There

“The message is that people are more likely to agree with you when they have already said something positive.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“The message is clear – those who do not feel in control of their lives are less successful, and less psychologically and physically healthy, than those who do feel in control.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“The message from this type of work is simple – if you want to cheer yourself up, behave like a happy person.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“When it comes to happiness, remember, it is experiences that represent really good value for the money.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“The results from both studies clearly indicated that in terms of short- and long-term happiness, buying experiences made people feel better than buying products.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“researchers discovered that people who have just consumed caffeinated drinks were more likely to be swayed by arguments about various controversial topics.55 In short, good evidence that there really is no such thing as a free lunch or an innocent cup of coffee.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Albert Einstein once said, “Sit with a beautiful woman for an hour and it seems like a minute, sit on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour—that’s relativity.”
― Richard Wiseman, Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things

“thinking and writing are very different. Thinking can often be somewhat unstructured, disorganized, and even chaotic. In contrast, writing encourages the creation of a story line and structure that help people make sense of what has happened and work toward a solution. In short, talking can add to a sense of confusion, but writing provides a more systematic, solution-based approach.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“If you need to feel wide awake directly after having a short nap, drink a cup of coffee or other caffeinated drink just before dozing off. The caffeine will start to work its magic about twenty-five minutes later – just as you are waking up.”
― Richard Wiseman, Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep

“When trying to write your way to a happier life, expressing gratitude is just the tip of the iceberg.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Napping is often seen as a form of laziness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hundreds of experiments have demonstrated the enormous benefits associated with even the shortest of sleeps, and so it is vital that you make napping part of your daily routine.”
― Richard Wiseman, Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep

“In short, when it comes to an instant fix for everyday happiness, certain types of writing have a surprisingly quick and large impact. Expressing gratitude, thinking about a perfect future, and affectionate writing have been scientifically proven to work—and all they require is a pen, a piece of paper, and a few moments of your time.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“You know, in this job we really need someone who is responsible.” The man thinks for a moment, then replies, “I am perfect for you. In my last job lots of things went badly wrong, and they always said that I was responsible.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“compared to individuals, groups tend to be more dogmatic, better able to justify irrational actions, more likely to see their actions as highly moral, and more apt to form stereotypical views of outsiders.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“This may sound somewhat obvious but, as the French philosopher Voltaire once famously pointed out, the main problem with common sense is that it is not so common.”
― Richard Wiseman, Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep

“When people can afford necessities in life, an increase in income dones not result in a significantly happier life.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“Spend just a few nights sleeping for seven hours or less and your brain goes into slow motion.”
― Richard Wiseman, Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep

“Spend just a few nights sleeping for seven hours or less and your brain goes into slow motion. To make matters worse, you will continue to feel fine and so don’t make allowances for your sluggish mind. Within just a couple of days this level of sleep deprivation transforms you into an accident waiting to happen.”
― Richard Wiseman, Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep

“Thanks to our capacity to adapt to ever greater fame and fortune, yesterday’s luxuries can soon become today’s necessities and tomorrow’s relics.”6”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“A woman’s flattery may inflate a man’s head a little, but her criticism goes straight to his heart, and contracts it so that it can never again hold quite so much love for her.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“As we continue toward the fifth secret technique of psychics, I have a gut feeling that you are the sort of person that lets your heart rule your head, can sometimes be too impulsive for your own good, and have recently come into contact with a goat. Rest assured you are not the only one.”
― Richard Wiseman, Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There

“if you want to cheer yourself up, behave like a happy person.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

“More than six thousand people reported which sporting activities would make a member of the opposite sex more attractive. Results revealed that 57 percent of women found climbing attractive, making it the sexiest sport from a female perspective. This was closely followed by extreme sports (56 percent), soccer (52 percent), and hiking (51 percent). At the bottom of the list came aerobics and golf, with just 9 percent and 13 percent of the vote, respectively. In contrast, men were most attracted to women who did aerobics (70 percent), followed by those who took yoga (65 percent), and those who went to the gym (64 percent). At the bottom of their list came golf (18 percent), rugby (6 percent), and bodybuilding (5 percent). Women’s choices appeared to reflect the type of psychological qualities that they find attractive, such as bravery and a willingness to take on challenges, while men appeared to be looking for a woman who was physically fit without appearing muscle-bound. No one, it seemed, was attracted to golfers.”
― Richard Wiseman, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot