The Surprising Psychology Behind Your Urge to Break the Rules | Paul Bloom | TED

We all experience it: that desire to do something wrong just for the sake of it. Whether it's walking on manicured grass or sticking your finger in a friend's ice cream, psychologist Paul Bloom invites us to see the clever, creative and beautiful side of these minor impulses to do bad. He dives into the psychology behind this all-too-human condition -- and proposes that it helps make our world a little more unpredictable and fun.
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[@malcolmmacpherson6976]

Thank you, Paul! In my journey of recovery from mental illness my therapist inspired in me, a Pollyanna’s view of the world! This teaching set me up for failure by thinking that everybody was good, and only had good intentions. I wish I’d heard this talk 30 years ago. Thank you, Paul. Loved “Psych” too… My thinking is reframed!

[@interferenzbrille_2542]

"Telling people: 'What you do is stupid, irrational, immoral' can have the paradoxical effect of motivating them to do exactly what you don't want them to do."

[@oceandizzle7]

If only the government/state got that memo on certain topics. 😂😂💁‍♀️

[@mek5438]

That is called attention. When you give them the attention they want, they become more interested to it.

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@mek5438 I would say otherwise but OP did say…

[@jacobstr]

Yep. But we should acknowledge that we’re vulnerable to acting stupid in those circumstances precisely be because of that “don’t tread on me” instinct.

[@hunterkiller3167]

Indeed

[@huseyintosun6708]

I love this guy.

[@mrblablo1]

Being told not to tell people what to do because they'll do the opposite makes me want to do the opposite of what you told me to do.

[@thisisntallowed9560]

I think this is important because everytime someone does something bad, people always excuse them "oh it's because they were abused as a child" or "hurt people hurt people". I don't think this is entirely false either, but saying that no one is perverted or enjoy hurting others is just a lie and distorsion of reality.

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

I guess the difference is whether they laugh about it or not. Give grace to the humble, but resist the proud.

[@ellefirogeni4624]

Not quite: ‘enjoy hurting others’ but rather cancelling order, outlasting the absurd.

[@Romie15]

Thank you! I listened to an interview Paul Bloom did in Modern Wisdom podcast and I had to look up his TED talk. Paul Bloom is both very knowledgable and funny

[@Phoe8D]

Paul Bloom, a good speaker and teacher. I always find what he talks about interesting. I used to watch his university lessons on KZbin

[@kul793]

I'm currently in his Intro Psych class at U of T. His lectures are interesting, he keeps the students engaged and has a good sense of humour.

[@snowleopard2053]

His coursera classes on Psychology is a treat and a lesson well-learned! Many thanks to Paul, really.

[@Sylar-451]

Thanks Paul, just gave me a little more motivation to continue writing my choas inspired book about either helping others or watching the world burn. Great talk, recently listened to Paul Bloom and Sam Harris on a podcast about empathy too. Was very interesting

[@axushka4]

which book are you writing?

[@beldonhuang]

What a fascinating talk! There is also another talk by him, which I also found quite interesting, called "The Origins of Pleasure". So much so that even made a video based on it! Highly recommend

[@DameClemency]

Very interesting stuff.

[@Funkopartner]

I honestly only do stuff like this because it genuinely brings me a feeling of joy and catharsis

[@greyskullmcbeef4901]

"Dont bully people" somehow sounds like a loss of freedom to many people

[@---Free-Comics---IG---Playtard]

Firstly, Decision fatigue and moral licencing are large contributors towards rule-breaking in an otherwise rule-abiding neurotypical individual. Second, (and perhaps more prevalent) is psychopathology & neuroses. Then, there is a combination of both. +1 PB

[@elmernicohufana3518]

That's why many social influencers are doing this hahaha in order to get more reactions to their viewers very catchy strategies

[@SwitzerlandEducation4471]

“I am the girl who spends hours huddled in a corner of a library, trying to find what you love the most about Marlowe, just so I can write you a poem worthy of Shakespeare. I've made books my lovers, hours my enemies and you the only story.” ―

[@fu-n_videos]

Entertaining. I stayed focused on this one.

[@Acousticlystrange]

What he means by carnal is "of the flesh" a concept in Christianity is that you must be born again. Those who are born again of the spirit are free from sin, making sin a carnal thing.

[@johnl2376]

Weird I use this chaos scale to do good instead of evil, example when someone tells me I would never pass the test I would study twice as hard just to prove them wrong.

[@jakub.anderwald]

In dungeons and dragons RPG game that's two different scales. Order/chaos and good/evil. In that system you would be called as chaotic-good :)

[@edi9892]

Really an interesting talk. As an Austrian, I really got a thing for malicious compliance... There's no bigger joy for me than to show people how stupid certain laws or orders are and bonus points if someone can be coaxed into a discussion or making a decision, where he only has bad options unless he accepts that his values are stupid... (like that one legend who pretended to be a tr@ns woman with giant br3asts and deliberately became an embarrassment so that he got paid to do nothing!) I got quite an inhibition in destroying beautiful things, rare things, or very old things, but as a kid, I did engage in vandalism, but that was targeting things that already offended me in my anarchistic sense of beauty... Besides the malicious compliance, the one thing that I need to watch out for is the joy of manipulating others and corrupting them in petty ways. The most harmless example is to get someone to laugh at a politically incorrect joke, but it can take a dark turn pretty fast... Thus, thinking about it, it's mostly a reactionary desire to fight back against a culture I cannot identify myself with, especially when it feels oppressive or stupid. Moreover, showcasing hypocrisy is clearly a big part of the joy, besides breaking the taboo by proxy...

[@scottiusnevious5143]

I only get this urge when i know i can piss off the person who pissed me off.

[@funnytv-1631]

It may seem counter-intuitive, but imagine what would happen if you claimed the identity of your ideal self. Even if you aren't there yet. What if you thought of yourself as a fit person on the inside, even while you bring that into being? Don't think of yourself as someone who has to walk, think of yourself as someone-who-walks. Once you take on an identity, you’ve given yourself an internal source of fuel.

[@scottiusnevious5143]

Your true self and taking up an identity are completely different things. Even if you feel you understand yourself, you don't. Such is the path of self individualization.

[@RippDrive]

To change the way you act you must first change the way you think. This is known.

[@SanyaGrosh]

Can someone recommend more reading on this topic? Thank youuuu

[@beldonhuang]

Though I'm not sure if this is more-or-less related to this, Paul Bloom's other talk, "The Origins of Pleasure", is a pretty good one. You could check it out if you haven't :) Personally, I quite like it

[@SanyaGrosh]

Thank you! @@beldonhuang

[@beldonhuang]

@@SanyaGrosh no problem at all :)

[@andycordy5190]

I certainly agree that perversity can be creative, and had I the power I would not eradicate it, however when we see phenomenon like the alt-right, Q-anon and the epidemic of deliberate spreading of mistrust in science, I get concerned.

[@HappySnappyChappy]

with the Diplomatic situation - if your adversary says "you sanction me - I will terrorise you" then you say "See? I KNEW he was a baddie!!! Let's hit him before he gets a chance.

[@MohamedAdamMagii]

This guy is my man😊😊❤

[@tinamariepanzera1330]

What you say makes a lot of sense. It also teaches more how to handle people

[@RashmiDhakal-xd7ud]

❤

[@jorgenmac]

Paul is the best. TED destroyed their brand.

[@LulaLeeful]

I may find this compelling if sources referenced were representative of populations current and past.

[@dougerdmann9021]

Not to mention that we agreed to serve in the manner of an experience…. Who else is going to do it we are the only ones here

[@Christina-sf4py]

Aussie here. My rebel inside is becoming more active because australia has become a horrible nanny state. It enraged me because those that make laws are assuming we are all stupid naughty children. I see the point in obeying good logical laws but someone..especially someone who thinks they are superior to those they rule are insufferable and a joy to oppose !

[@soberhippie]

Once, when we were children, a friend of mine bought a cone of ice cream. I made the arm movement that, if unchecked, would have knocked the ice cream out if his hand, but my intent was just to threaten, to cause a bit of anxiety, so i stopped my hand centimetres away from the actual cone. However, my friend automatically squeezed the cone so hard, that the ice cream slipped out of it. It was quite funny

[@KissMeImABBW]

Perversity can sometimes equal scorched Earth. 😢

[@mek5438]

The people reaction is the main culprit that urge others to do the stupid things they do. Stupid KZbin and Tiktok videos are the best examples why these urges are increasing.

[@patrickgoldsmith4407]

Is this how/why the GQP attracts folks to vote against their own self-interest? Or the Gov. of Florida can display rabid misanthropy?

[@hope.8.]

Some people are afforded the space to be human this way. Others are demonized if they dare.

[@themanwnoname3454]

2023(Gregorian) “Respect and dignity.” Furthermore:

[@JacksonCarson]

Snap! He didn’t follow through on the perversion scale thing. Was that a perverse act in itself? 🤔

[@phonguyentuhop]

When I was young, my mother alway ban me don't do thing this, or don't do thing that. Finally, I often do it in the dark. It thing made me funy and happy. Nowaday, when I am a mother, I don't ban my son. Due to I know, everything I must not him, he will do when don't have me there. The lesson first I learn this video, in my mind alway two part, angle and devil. The devil will appear if we refuse it. The lesson second, If I reply violent, violent will attack, If i accep it, it will go away.

[@SamsonFernendez]

People who eat animals: "we just want to watch the world burn"

[@thatomofolo452]

👂👂👂

[@Angad_24]

Pin me ted, soon i will be on your talk😅😅

[@MoritaJunichiro]

The history of philosophy repeats itself (GWF Hegel) The subject of the mind is the body and brain, the five senses If you disrupt the laws, everything will be disrupted, the Tower of Babel (Ai and technology) Probably. 😏😤 Chaos and Stoicism🤭

[@teddydotson3727]

I want it to be so hot outside that everyone is upset about the weather. I dislike the rain, cold weather is too wet.

[@teddydotson3727]

I would like a second sun...

[@LiviarSnts]

Taylor Swift already knew that when she said "they say I did something bad, then why's it feel so good?"

[@anika1271]

"I did something bad, but why did feel so good? " Taylor Swift

[@homewall744]

Rules are meant to be broken. If they were not, then the rule wouldn't exist.

[@ronnymcdonald2543]

FJB

[@jackbusiness7879]

This guy looks into it too much. Some people just looking for someone to take out their hate and anger on. Don’t be the dumb one to be there for them to do so.

[@smhdpt12]

The laughing in this talk is super annoying. It's not a comedy show people.

[@globalvillage423]

I once uploaded pornographic image as profile image for my youtube account and my account was suspended.

[@SwitzerlandEducation4471]

Just follow me for education purpose