By: Megan Miyamoto

What makes us act the way we act or think the way we think? Throughout the ages, philosophers, psychologists, and masses of curious minds have made painstaking efforts to answer these questions. 

But in 2020, a new and very different type of player emerged, seeking to find the answer to some of these questions for itself, the Netflix reality TV series ‘100 Humans.’ The show, in its comical and quirky manner, aimed to answer life’s questions by putting 100 diverse Americans through experiments and later talking to experts to get the true scientific explanations for the results. Although some discoveries were trivial and for pure entertainment value like, ‘Do old people have an odor?’ or ‘Which way do you put your toilet roll?,’ other findings were fascinating and could be applied to bettering daily life. The following are some of the most interesting and relevant facts from the show about human nature that you can start benefiting from now. 

1. Having fun can help you perform better at creative task

Having fun is not only an enjoyable way to complete tasks, but can also help your creativity. During one experiment, two sets of groups were challenged to build the tallest structure from dry food supplies. One set of groups was the ‘Reward group’ who were motivated by a cash prize, while the other group was the ‘Fun group’ who were motivated by having fun. The result was that the ‘Fun group’ winners built a tower significantly taller than the ‘Reward group’ winners. Daniel H. Pink, best selling author of Drive, explained that this experiment showcased how reward motivation makes people focus narrowly, while other motivations like fun allows people to focus more broadly which is needed for creative tasks. Had the task been something less creative and more mundane like envelope stuffing, he says, the reward team would have crushed it.

Knowing this is justification to keep creative tasks fun! Make sure to keep the enjoyment levels high during your brainstorming stage rather than focusing on the reward for the performance. Try exploring new, interesting ideas because that may lead to the best result to help you stand out from the competition.

2. Music can influence your willingness to take risk

Many of us have felt how a great song can change our mood, but did you know that music can also affect our willingness to take risks? The show conducted an experiment where they had one group listen to somber, calm music and another listen to upbeat, happy music. After an hour of listening, the participants were all asked if they would be willing to step in front of a target board as a professional knife thrower threw knives around them. Of the two groups, significantly more upbeat, happy music listeners were willing to take the risk versus the somber, calm music listeners. Neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Levity explains that this was because mood-elevating music can release dopamine and serotonin to our brain, making people more exploratory.

So next time you are in a situation where it might benefit you to be more open to risk, such as traveling or creating new innovations, it may be of benefit to play an upbeat music soundtrack to get you in that mindset.

3. Expectations can largely affect our emotions

Setting the bar astronomically high can lead to disappointing outcomes because extreme goals can be difficult to meet. In the show, expert Sonja Lyubomirsky PhD, author of The How of Happiness, explains how expectations can directly relate to our happiness levels, saying that “a lot of our happiness has to do with expectations.” Getting overly expectant of how amazing an experience will be may lead to an unfulfilled prophecy.

Ultimately we cannot not control how events will turn out, whether that be the first day of school, a party, a vacation, etc. So rather than idealizing how absolutely perfect things will turn out, give yourself more reasonable expectations. That way you end up more happy and content.

4. Amount of words someone uses may be related to power

It is a stereotype that women are more talkative and use more words than men. To test this notion the show conducted an experiment to see if that was actually the case. However, what was really intriguing was the possible reason for this difference. According to Dr. Holliday, sociolinguistic expert, the number of words someone uses may be linked to social power. Those with less social power might use linguistic styles like saying more words in order to be better heard. That explanation would therefore account for the noticeable variance between men and women.

With this awareness you may be able to spot the power dynamics in the environment you encounter. In the situations where you have higher power, work to help those who are less so by making a special effort to listen to them or bringing them into conversations. 

5. Relationships are key to happiness

Surely many are aware how important relationships are to happiness, but science goes as far as to state that it is the very key to happiness. The show cites a Harvard investigation where researchers studied a range of people across socioeconomic tiers for over 75 years. One of their discoveries was that the most important thing to keep people happy and healthy throughout their lives was positive relationships. According to that study, close, positive relationships are more important than money or fame for happiness. And, on the flip side, isolation and loneliness are as harmful to a person’s life as alcoholism and smoking.

So what that means is that you should go out and do fun things with the ones you love. Reach out to people and make memories because not only will it be the key to your happiness, but also theirs.

All in all, these are just some interesting facts, but what really matters is how you choose to apply them. Improving your life is how you use your knowledge to create better for yourself and others. We hope you take the time to think about what improvements you can make for your own life to make it more enjoyable everyday.

EnJoy more of Life!