Recently, I’ve been studying human psychology and have discovered some quite interesting patterns.

Did you know that many of our behaviors are not rational decisions at all, but are subconsciously manipulated by various psychological effects? For example, some women know that men are scumbags but still can’t bring themselves to break up. It seems like love, but actually it’s the sunk cost fallacy at work. The more you invest, the less willing you are to let go. This is called the sunk cost fallacy.

There’s also a particularly interesting phenomenon called the inverse proportional law. When you don’t love someone, they love you the most. Once you start showing initiative, you might actually be ignored. The logic behind this is that people are naturally more interested in what they can’t have. The curiosity effect works the same way—want to make someone attracted to you? Keep some mystery and stay calm, and they’ll become curious about you. Constantly being humble and flattering will only make people dislike you.

Human psychology also reveals a cruel fact called the peak-end rule. A person who has done 99 good deeds will still be labeled a bad person if they do one bad deed. Conversely, someone who has done 99 bad things can be seen as a good person if they do one good deed. That’s why first impressions and last impressions are so important.

There are also effects that directly influence our daily decisions. For example, the door-in-the-face effect: once someone agrees to a small request, they are more likely to agree to a larger one later. That’s why salespeople often start by asking for small commitments. The recency effect tells us that in a group presentation, the last person to speak is often more convincing. This explains why leaders tend to speak last.

The forbidden fruit effect and the Pandora effect point to the same human weakness: the more something is forbidden, the more we want it. The more you try to hide your flaws, the more others will notice them. The less you let me see, the more I want to see. This rebellious psychology is deeply rooted in human nature.

There’s also the Franklin effect, which is particularly noteworthy. People you’ve helped before may not necessarily repay you, but those who have helped you are often more willing to help again. Sometimes, asking someone for a favor can actually strengthen your relationship.

The broken window effect tells us that if you don’t stop small problems early, they tend to escalate and become hard to change once they set a trend. A clean place makes people hesitant to litter, but once trash appears, people will throw trash without hesitation.

Finally, there’s the 12-second rule: a person’s anger over something lasts only about 12 seconds. After that, they tend to return to their normal calm. Unfortunately, most people are controlled by those 12 seconds and end up doing things they regret.

These psychological effects may sound simple, but very few people truly understand them. It’s not about harming others, but about understanding human nature.