Perspective

With the pandemic and everything, could life be worse right now? It all depends on your frame of mind. Robert Cialdini, the famous psychologist who wrote about influence, presents a version of the following story. A female college student sends an email to her parents:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m sorry I did not write for a few weeks. Before you keep on reading, I want you to sit down. Please sit down. The last few weeks have been rough. I neglected to tell you that I met a boy when I was at a bar a few weeks ago. He had just been released from jail for drug trafficking, but he is really sweet. He shared with me that he had a venereal disease. He was very honest. It was love at first sight. In the heat of the moment we had unprotected sex and I got an infection. I also realized later that I got pregnant from this encounter. In addition, I forgot to pay my health insurance bill and when I went into the hospital for some emergency procedure they charged me $ 23,750. I asked them to send you the bill.

Now that you’ve read all these horrible things let me tell you the truth. I did not meet a boy, did not get pregnant, did not have an infection, did not have unprotected sex, and did not go to the hospital, but I did get a “C” in organic chemistry. I hope you can see my poor grade in proper perspective now.

                        Yours, Emma.

 Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky is an award-winning academic and author. He is also a coach, consultant and a researcher. His latest book, co-authored with his wife, Dr. Ora Prilleltensky, is How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Press here to order.