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Why is it important to read books on human nature?
Why do people save, kill, forgive, take revenge, love, and hate? Some point to emotions, others to hormones. Some blame childhood experiences, others the environment. What people do and how they make decisions can never be fully understood. Yep, that's right. You can never 100% understand people and their actions, but at least you won't always be disappointed by some people's behavior forever.
Now, emotional intelligence is valued almost as much as accurate and practical knowledge. But that's not too surprising. To function as a society, we need to understand and respect each other. The best books on human nature can help us learn about each other's inner worlds, feelings, thinking, worldviews, and motivations.
Work involves communicating with people and building both short-term and long-term relationships. Different situations call for different strengths. That's why it is necessary to understand your strengths and weaknesses so you can develop competitive advantages and achieve better results.
Knowing your positive character traits allows you to develop and deepen them. Understanding your negative tendencies is also essential, as it helps you be more cautious, control yourself during tough moments, or even work on changing these patterns.
Today, plenty of tools exist for determining a person's character traits. The US alone has about 2,500 different tests. Two popular systems are used to determine a person's character traits, namely the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (16 types) and the Enneagram (9 types). If you want to learn more about these, check out book summaries on them with the Headway app.
Psychology books about this topic appeal to non-specialists because we want to understand others better. We want to grasp their desires and motivations, figure out how they behave, learn how to communicate with them, and improve our interactions.
Psychology provides answers to almost all of these questions. Books provide practical methods, and sometimes even exercises, that teach people how to reduce stress and tension. They also help people cope with their emotions, respond appropriately to others' emotions, communicate productively with colleagues, and boost self-esteem.
Here, you can find the top books on human nature, which are helpful for both specialists and those interested in understanding the depths of the human mind.
by Ty Tashiro, PhD
by Kate Murphy
by Sam Harris
by Kevin Simler, Robert Hanson
by John Green
by Daniel Lieberman, MD, Michael E. Long
by Erich Fromm, PhD
by Christopher Ryan, PhD, Cacilda Jethá, MD
by Rutger Bregman
by Ken Wilber
Popular and recommended books include Daniel Goleman's 'Emotional Intelligence,' Kelly McGonigal's 'The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works' by Kelly McGonigal, PhD, and Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search for Meaning.' These books explore various aspects of human psychology and behavior, covering everything from emotions to motivation and self-control.
Hippocrates identified four classical temperament types: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic. These types determine the speed and strength of nervous processes that influence a person's behavioral characteristics, emotional reactions, and interactions with the world.
Also, there is a more recent study from 2016:
Optimistic: People with a positive outlook
Pessimistic: People with a negative outlook
Trusting: Those who tend to trust and rely on others
Envious: Characterized by wanting what others have
The seven main aspects of human life are spiritual, emotional, social, material, intellectual, physical, and professional. These aspects are interconnected and form a full human existence. Each is important for achieving happiness, development, and realizing the meaning of life.
The INFJ personality type is the rarest and most intriguing, making up less than 2% of the population.
INFJs have a deep understanding and compassion for others. They aim to understand people's motivations and help them achieve inner harmony. They see helping others as a life purpose. They are kind and have an unwavering point of view and will fight tirelessly for what they believe in. INFJs easily create connections with others and have a talent for sincere, empathetic speech.
Type B people are represented by a calm and flexible nature, contrasting with type A, which is more aggressive and competitive. Type B people worry less about time, enjoy the process rather than just focusing on results, and handle failure and stress more balanced. They have tolerant personalities and can see situations from a broader perspective, promoting teamwork.
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