SITUATIONS MATTER by Sam Sommers

The world around you is pulling your strings, shaping your innermost instincts and your most private thoughts. And you don't even realize it.

Every day and in all walks of life, we overlook the robust power of situations, of context, in our lives. And that's a mistake, says Sam Sommers in his provocative new book, Situations Matter. Just as the museum visitor pays little attention to the frames around paintings, so do people overlook the influence of ordinary situations on the way we think and act. But frames -- situations -- do matter: They catch the eye and accentuate aspects of the paintings they surround. Your experience at the museum wouldn't be the same without them. The same goes for human nature.

In Situations Matter, Sommers argues that appreciating and understanding the enormous impact that context has in our lives makes us more effective at work, at school, at home, and with each other. Recognizing the power of situations to shape human nature gives us a leg up in a wide range of endeavors, both professional and interpersonal.

Sommers takes us on a fascinating and engaging journey through how our assumptions about other people are flawed and shows us how to understand why we make these mistakes. He also teaches us to recognize what pitfalls to avoid so that we can make better decisions and smarter observations about other people, the world around us, and even ourselves.

Find the author on Twitter: @SamSommers

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[Iambecome]

This is good. Most of us in the west tend to ignore the effects of situations--we just think of "character", and blame people's faults on their innate incompetencies or whatever, rather than looking for environmental/contextual explanations.

the tweet that got me here, "If men are from Mars and women Venus, why are sex differences so fragile?"

seems somewhat misleading though.

[SuperOlivess]

true that.

[baywren]

Fascinating! I think you're on to something here. I'll check it out.

[johndrew25]

To better understand what is at stake and why this video takes us in the wrong direction, I recommend reading Thomas Sowell's excellent book, A Conflict of Visions. Remember, it was the Catholics who stood up to Hitler...not the Marxist socialists.

[Happypast]

I tend to help people if I see someone that need help but I really have to take a deep breath and make a conscious effort to make me go over there...

Sounds like a very interesting book :3

[ViperXMambo]

@johndrew25 I think just the opposite. Underestimating the power of context is what lead to many totalitarian movements. Charismatic dictators capitalize upon a nation's most widely spread insecurities and converting individuals into angry mobs. Before long everyone believes that what they are doing is right or just simply because they think everyone else is doing it. The powerful individuals with personality and character are the ones who manipulate the school of angry fish.

[Krizkroz]

cant wait

[MPollak1]

Hi

Can i ask you a few questions about your hireability to make animated films for me?

HOw can i contact you?

[johndrew25]

This video, of course, is frightening to anyone who has studied the history of totalitarian movements.  When we neglect personality and character...bad things happen...

[nickbergman1]

Interesting video....What software did you use to make this?