Insight by Psychology

Even if luck counts for only a small percent of evaluation, the chosen cohort can be dominated by high-luck realizations because adding a random luck term creates enough stochastic variation that the top-ranked picks disproportionately include those with extreme positive luck.

Positional authority (like a boss) can backfire because it feels coercive and breeds resentment when oversight is absent, whereas credible authority (expertise plus trustworthiness) persuades by providing useful information people adopt even without monitoring.

Warm social connections slow biological aging because they reduce chronic inflammation and stress—the physiological drivers of many age‑related diseases—thereby lowering disease risk and preserving function.

Attributing positive outcomes to your own traits reduces willingness to share rewards because internal explanations create feelings of entitlement that decrease perceived obligation to redistribute gains.

Giving benefits or useful information first increases compliance because receiving a favor creates a felt obligation to reciprocate, which makes people more ready to say yes to later requests.

Admitting luck in your success increases perceived kindness because acknowledging external help signals humility and social awareness, which makes observers view you as more likable and trustworthy.

People are more likely to comply with those they like because demonstrating similarity and giving sincere, specific compliments increases liking, which raises persuasive power.

Country of birth explains large global income differences because national institutions, economic conditions, and resource distribution shape the opportunities available from childhood, materially raising expected lifetime earnings for those born in wealthier countries.