Catch Your Hare

Today I’m reading Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman. I recommend it, if just for the wonderful psychology studies.

Ellen Langer, a Harvard professor and the leading academic in the field of mindlessness, had people try to butt into a line of office workers waiting to copy material. When the would-be queue-jumpers asked “Would you mind if I cut in front of you?”, they were refused. When they asked “Would you mind if I cut in front of you, because I have to copy something?” they were allowed to cut in.