Mind your Lucky Charms

Our brain is continuously trying to predict what will happen

next by finding connections between our actions and how

the environment or our own body reacts to them. If a reaction

is particularly hefty, whether positive of negative, we

pay special attention to that event. This mechanism, which

we all use, might explain how rituals and superstitions form.

Sects and gurus exploit these effects. But this is also how

marketing and politics influence our behavior; the latest

keywords for this are „framing“ and „nudging.“ However,

as Rebecca Böhme shows, we can also utilize these same

effects to our own benefit, giving the lucky charm inside us

an opportunity to give and putting its abilities to the test

to show what it can do. Even so, keeping and caring for a

lucky charm is complicated. But, compiling the best tips that

science has on offer right now, as the message of this book

goes: it‘s worth it.