Dark Psychology

What  Is Dark Psychology?

Psychology is the study of human behavior that is concerned with our thoughts, actions and interactions.  Dark psychology is the power of mind control and manipulation where people learn the strategy of motivation, persuasion, manipulation and coercion to get what they want.

The Dark Triad

There are three traits concerned with dark psychology:

·         Machiavellianism: manipulation to deceive and exploit people with no sense of morality.

·         Narcissism: egotism, grandiosity and a lack of empathy.

·         Psychopathy: despite being charming and friendly, these people exhibit impulsivity, selfishness, a lack of empathy and remorselessness.

While no one wants to fall victim to such tactics, it happens a lot in this day.  Such dark psychology tactics are found in commercials, internet ads, supervisor’s behaviors, and as sad it may be to think, our children’s behaviors as they grow and experiment with behaviors to get what they want .  These behaviors can be used from people we know and love can be seen below:

·         Love flooding: compliments, affection or flattering someone to request an action.

·         Lying: exaggerations, partial untruths, untruths, untrue stories.

·         Love denial: withholding love and attention.

·         Withdrawal: avoiding the person or using the silent treatment.

·         Choice restriction: giving choice substitutions to distract someone to give you the choice you want.

·         Reverse psychology: telling someone to do the opposite with the intention to get them to do what you want.

·         Semantic manipulation: words used to connote similar meaning or mutual definition, but the manipulator has reveals a different understanding or meaning of the conversation.  Words can be powerful tools.

People use these tactics with the intention of getting what they want.  They learn it from their parents, during their teenage years or adulthood.  And there are some who don’t intentionally use these tactics, but used it once to get what they wanted and it worked—they continue to use them.

Some people are trained to use such dark psychology tactics, such as training programs where sales and marketing use dark psychology and unethical behavior to manipulate others to buy their products.  The following people use dark psychology tactics to manipulate others into getting what they want:

·         Narcissists: these people, with proper medical diagnosis, have an inflated sense of self-worth.  They need people to their belief of superiority.  They believe they deserve to be adored or even worshipped.  And they use these tactics to manipulate others into getting this.

·         Sociopaths: these people, again with proper medical diagnosis, are charming and intelligent but often impulsive.  They show a lack of emotionality and remorse as they manipulate to get what they want.

·         Attorneys: some attorneys become focused on winning their case they use dark psychology tactics to make sure they win.

·         Politicians: most politicians use dark psychology to manipulate voters they are right to win votes.

·         Leaders: leaders and supervisors use dark psychology to gain compliance, great effort, and higher motivation from subordinates.

·         Sales people: sales people use dark psychologies to achieve the sale by motivating customers buy their product.

·         Public speakers: dark psychology is used among public speakers to heighten the emotional state of their audience knowing it leads to more sales.

·         Selfish people: selfish people, those with a “self before others” agenda, use dark psychology to exploit others to meet their needs first, even if are at the expense of others.

High-Fiber Super Foods

Start Your Day with Whole Grains

Fiber can help lower cholesterol, prevent constipation, and improve digestion.  And many Americans don’t eat enough of it.  On average, we get less than half of what we need.  Most whole grains are great sources of fiber.  Start with breakfast:  Look for whole-grain cereal or oatmeal with 3 or more grams of fiber per serving.  Add fruit, and you’ll be on your way to the daily goal of 38 grams for men under 50 and 25 grams for women under 50.

Fresh Fruit

Any fresh fruit is a healthy snack.  But when it comes to fiber, some fruits have more than others.  One large Asian pear has a whopping 9.9 grams of it.  Other high-fiber fruits include raspberries (4 grams per ½ cup), blackberries (3.8 grams per ½ c.up), bananas (3.1 for one medium-sized), and blueberries (2 grams per ½ cup).  Pears and apples – with the skin on – are also good choices.

Whole-Grain Bread and Crackers

Keep the grains coming.  For lunch, eat a sandwich on whole-grain bread.  Or dip whole-grain crackers into your favorite healthy spread.  “Whole grain” means it includes all parts of the grain, and that gives you all the nutrients.  Studies show that adding whole grains and other high-fiber foods to your diet may also lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Eat Your Vegetables

Artichoke hearts, green peas, spinach, corn broccoli, and potatoes are high-fiber veggies.  But all vegetables have some.  So add veggies to omelets, sandwiches, pastas, pizza, and soup.  Include interesting ones – such as beets, jicama, Jerusalem artichokes, and celeriac – to a salad or other meals.

Dried Fruit

Prunes are well-known for the way they can help digestion.  That’s in part because of their high-fiber content.  The roughage can help spur bowel movements and relieve constipation.  Most dried fruits are loaded with fiber.  Have a few dried figs, dates, raisins, or dried apricots as a snack.  Or chop them up and sprinkle them on top of cereal or whole-grain dishes.  But they’re high in natural sugar, so don’t go overboard.

Beans

From adzuki to Great Northern, beans deliver fiber and protein, and are low in fat.  Try eating them instead of meat twice a week.  Use them in soups, stews, salads, and casseroles, and with egg rice, and pasta dishes.  For a healthy snack, boil edamame beans for 4 minutes and sprinkle with salt.  Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverage to avoid constipation and gas.

Peas and Other Legumes

Related to beans, lentils and peas high in fiber and protein and low in fat, too.  Lentils cook more quickly than most other legumes and are a favorite in soups and stews.  You can add cooked chickpeas to salads, or blend them to make hummus.

Nut, Seeds, and Fiber

Many people steer clear of nuts and seeds because they tend to be high in calories and fat.  But they can be a great source of fiber and other nutrients.  Just keep the portions small.  One ounce of almonds has 3.5 grams of fiber.  Try adding chopped nuts or seeds to salads, cereal, or yogurt.  Or enjoy a handful of roasted nuts or seeds for a healthy afternoon snack.

Enjoy Whole Grains with Dinner

Choose brown rice instead of white.  Or serve whole-grain noodles.  For something different, make a dish with millet, quinoa, or bulgur – whole grains that are packed with fiber.  Adding fiber to your diet can also help you manage your weight by making you feel fuller longer.  These foods also take more chewing, which gives you your body more time to feel full.

Add Flaxseed

The seed of the flax plant can be an excellent source of fiber, giving you 2.8 grams per tablespoon.  Flaxseed is often used as a laxative, but studies show that it also may help lower cholesterol levels and cut down on hot flashes.  Add whole or ground flaxseeds to breads or other baked goods.  Or sprinkle ground flaxseed into a smoothie or onto cooked vegetables.

Check the Label

Along with the fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains in your diet, some packaged foods have fiber – only it’s added to them.  these include items such as cereal, pasta, and yogurt fortified with it.

How Clutter Can Affect Your Health

Too Much Stuff

If your closets are bursting or your desk is topped with piles of disorganized papers, you may want to take some steps toward a neater home or workplace.  While a bit of chaos might have some upsides – at least one study suggests that a messy room spurs creativity – it has many more downsides.  It can even be damaging for your physical and mental health.

Mess Equals Stress

When everything is in order, you know exactly where you put your glasses and keys so you can grab them and go on with your day.  That saves time and a whole lot of hassle.  In one study, women who saw their homes as cluttered had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day, while those who described their abode as a well-organized, restful space had lower levels.

It Doesn’t Get Easier

If you’re a bit scatterbrained because your space is scattered, don’t wait to neaten up.  research has shown that adults in their 50s who have too many piles of stuff are more likely than younger folks to put off making decisions about what to get rid of.  The study also found that those piles can make you less satisfied with your life.

Your Mind Wanders

It’s hard to focus on important tasks when several things compete for your attention.  Researchers have found that being around disorganization makes it harder for your brain to focus.  It can be especially though for people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).  If you have ADHD, a professional organizer or coach may be the best way to restore some order to your space.

Pass the Tissues

There’s a reason people often call knickknacks “dust collectors.”  Too much stuff makes it harder to keep your space clean.  If you’re allergic to things like dust mites or pet dander, decluttering should make it easier to dust and vacuum and get symptoms like sneezing, wheezing, and itchy eyes under control.

Embarrassment and Isolation

A neat, tidy house feels inviting, both for the people who live there as well as guests.  A cluttered home may feel the opposite.  But shutting people out can take a toll on relationships and make you feel sad and lonely.  That could be one reason a hoarding disorder tends to overlap with depression and anxiety disorders.

Slips and Falls

Living with lots of clutter puts you at risk of getting injured.  When your floor is covered with boxes, heaps of clothing, or even to much furniture, it’s that much easier to trip.  Shelves stuffed to the brim with books and knickknacks can also be a hazard if something falls off or a piece of overloaded furniture topples over.

Neatness and Generosity

A more organized environment may make you more caring toward others.  in one study, volunteers who filled out surveys in a neat room were more likely to say they wanted to donate to a charity compared with those who were questioned in a messy room.

Memory Issues

Some people who live in cluttered homes have a poorer “working memory,” according to research.  Your brain is wired to be able to keep track of only a few details at once for a short period, so it can get overloaded when there’s too much going on.

Safety First

If you’ve gone overboard on papers and other flammable items, your home can be a fire hazard.  Even if a fire starts in the most common of ways (cooking oil goes up in flames or a burner catches the edge of your dish towel), clutter makes it harder to get help.  Not only will you have more trouble getting out in time if your pathways and exits are blocked, but firefighters will also have a harder time putting out the blaze.

Linked to Weight Gain

People who fill their homes with so much stuff that they may have a hoarding disorder also appear to be more likely to overeat and become obese.  One study found that as hoarding got worse, so did body mass index (BMI) and binge-eating symptoms (eating large amounts of food in a short time).

Up All Night

People who have a hoarding disorder also seem more likely to have insomnia.  The link between the two isn’t totally clear, but sleep is important for clear thinking and decision making, if you’re sleep-deprived, you might be more likely to make questionable decisions, including ones that involve getting more stuff you really don’t need.

How Healthy Are Concession Stand Snacks

The average small movie popcorn with “buttery” topping has about 600 calories, about the same as a quarter-pound cheeseburger (550 calories).  You could have three slices of thin-crust cheese pizza or three milk chocolate candy bars for about the same number of calories.  A slice of cheesecake has about 410 calories.

The average large movie popcorn with “buttery” topping has about 1,270 calories, which is about the same as two large pieces of friend chicken (800 calories), a cup of mashed potatoes (230), and a 16-oz. soda (200).  Two cups of spaghetti with meat sauce and a slice of garlic bread contain about 800 calories together, and a small thick-crust pepperoni pizza with a can of soda has about 940 calories.

A combo with a large soda (48 oz.) and a large popcorn with “buttery” topping has about 1,700 calories, which is about 85% of the daily allowance for a 2,000-calorie diet.

In November 2014, the FDA said that movie theaters will now have to post calorie counts on their menus.  So no more guessing.  The rule applies to food establishments with 20 or more locations, including fast food chains, amusement parks, and bowling alleys.

An average small movie soda (23 oz.) has about 14 teaspoons of sugar and a little over 290 calories.  An average large movie soda (47 oz.) has almost 34 teaspoons of sugar and 606 calories.

If you’re trying to watch your calories at the movies and decide to split a small unbuttered popcorn with a friend, you’ll each get about the same number of calories as you would from an 8-oz. container of flavored whole-milk yogurt, which has about 230 calories.  Half a cup of cottage cheese has about 110 calories, 18 cashews (about 1 oz.) hav 165 calories, and a hard-boiled egg has about 80 calories.

Plain popcorn is a whole grain and a healthy snack, and requesting unbuttered movie popcorn is a good start, but salt and oil can be a problem.  An average small popcorn contains about 450 mg. of sodium, about 20% of the recommended daily amount.

A small movie popcorn also has about 27 grams of saturated fat if it’s popped in coconut oil; if the theater chain uses non-hydrogenated canola oil, that takes the saturated fat content down to 2 grams.

One theater chain’s version of a medium tub of popcorn might contain 10 cups, while another’s might have up to 20.  It’s worth checking out the sizes before you order.

One theater’s chain’s medium soda can be 32 oz., while another’s is 44 oz., and the size of a small can vary even more.  For example, one chain’s small soda might be 16 oz., while another’s is double that at 32 oz.

If you have a craving for chocolate at the movies but you’re counting calories a 3 oz. bag of chocolate-covered caramels , at 370 calories, may be your best bet.  A 3.5 oz. bag of chocolate-cover raisins has 420 calories, a 4.8 oz. bag of chocolate-covered mints has 570 calories, and a 4 oz. bag of chocolate-covered peanut butter pieces has 580 calories.

There are many reasons it can be difficult to watch your calories at a theater.  Getting buttered popcorn and a soda at the movies is a habit that can be hard for many of us to break.  Another problem is mindless eating, if you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating while you’re engrossed in special effects or a riveting drama, you may finish off that large tub of popcorn (that you planned to share) without realizing it.

Also, theater chains usually make it more economical to get larger sizes as part of a combination deal (a large popcorn with a large soda, for example), which can lead to your eating more than you’d planned.

Having dinner before the movie, instead of after it, can help curb hunger.  But if watching a movie just isn’t the same without popcorn you can share with a friend and request that it be unbuttered and unsalted.  Some theaters offer more healthy snack options, such as bottled water and trail mix or even hummus with veggies and pita chips, so check out all your options before ordering.