Sometimes people behave strangely, and they do not pay attention to this until they look at themselves from aside. In our review, we offer 10 scientific explanations as to why people do not change the ended roll of toilet paper in time, laugh instead of crying, fall in love with psychopaths, and do other equally strange things.
1. Not changing the ended roll of toilet paper
Coming out of the toilet, it would seem easy to replace the ended roll of toilet paper. However, people almost never do that. According to psychologists, the reason for such sloppiness is not laziness, but the complete lack of motivation to do something that is not expected to bring any reward for an absolutely “useless” action. A similar situation is observed with the removal of litter or dishwashing.
2. The desire to bite cute things
Every time there is a baby in a company of friends, someone always says (with a cutesy voice, of course) that they will “eat” or “bite” the child. Similar conversations occur when there are puppies or kittens. Where does this incomprehensible reaction come from? Why do people have a desire to chew cute things for fun? Scientists have two main theories explaining this phenomenon. The first idea is that when people (especially women) feel the breath of a newborn, the blood produces dopamine. A similar situation occurs when people eat delicious meals. It is believed that a surge of dopamine causes an unconscious association with food. Another explanation for this phenomenon is that this is a form of a game. Biting is widespread in many mammals.
3. Inappropriate laughter
Most people had at least one case of totally inappropriate laughter, such as when someone fell or when they heard bad news. Although everyone knows that there is nothing funny about the death of a grandmother, but sometimes people are overcome by hysterical laughter literally at the funeral. In fact, such laughter is a sign that the person has gone through great emotional stress, and the body uses laughter as a way to partially relieve the discomfort or ease tension.
4. Affection for psychopaths
A lot of people are unjustly fascinated by creepy personalities and outspoken psychopaths. What awakens an insatiable interest in the infamous personalities? There are three main theories to explain such an obsession. The first one says that psychopathic atrocities allow you to temporarily abandon the honest and law-abiding frames of behavior. Another theory is that psychopaths are essentially predators, and the stories about them return us to the atavistic human division into the hunters and the hunted. According to the latest theories, sometimes people just feel the need to be frightened.
5. Knowledge simulation
Some people tend to simulate their knowledge about something they hear for the first time. The psychologists, who have studied this phenomenon, argue that most people do this to stand out and show their importance. At the moment when someone asks a person about what he/she knows, people start to unconsciously analyze and invent an explanation to the unknown things.
6. Crying with no reason
Crying seems fairly commonplace. However, why is this phenomenon observed? One of the main theories explaining human crying argues that crying is largely a thing of the past and a sign that a person is distressed. Most young animals emit some type of sounds that show distress to warn others that they need help. It is believed that crying is a way to announce distress without attracting predators by screaming or other sounds.
7. Twitching during sleep
About 70% of people make involuntary movements when falling asleep. Unfortunately, scientists can only suggest why such spasms occur, and there is just speculation over the issue. Some scientists believe that this is just a random reaction that occurs when the nerves pass from waking to sleep. Involuntary movements are also observed when a person dreams that he/she is falling. In this case, the brain mixes real life and the state of sleep.
8. Gossiping
Women are often called gossip girls. In fact, according to the study, men gossip 32% more than women during the day. The reason for this is that most people have an irresistible urge to move closer to others. People want to form social bonds with their environment and gossip because it immediately creates a sense of trust between people. In turn, another person joins the secret, and the contact is established. Studies show that connections based on common disliking are stronger than those based on discussing positive qualities.
9. Love of watching sad movies
Every person’s life seems to bring fairly enough grief and misery on a daily basis. So it seems rather unusual that people often watch sad melodramas instead of cheerful comedies. It may seem counter-intuitive, but one reason for this is that when a person watches a tragedy, it makes him/her feel happier for a short time.
10. Silence as an uncomfortable situation
Many people have a burning desire to fill every moment of silence with chattering. Is it bad to just sit quietly with someone nearby? But long silence makes people feel uncomfortable. Like many other things connected with human behavior, it comes down to the original desire of the people to belong to society and to fit into it. According to psychologists, when there is a pause in a conversation, the interlocutors begin to worry that something goes wrong. However, it is not in all cultures that people are embarrassed by silence. For example, in Japan, a long pause may be a sign of respect, especially when considering serious issues.
