Distance makes you wiser: UW Study
Posted Jun 10, 2014 05:49:57 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A study led by a University of Waterloo professor finds that it’s best to distance yourself when thinking about personal problems.
Professor Igor Grossmann and a fellow researcher asked participants to think about situations like having a cheating spouse, by considering their reactions in the first and the third person.
They found that thinking about relationship problems in the third-person led to wiser answers.
Professor Grossmann says the study may have busted a myth about older adults as well.
“There was pretty much no difference between them and younger adults, suggesting that possibly the adage that ‘wisdom comes with age’ may not be applicable when it comes to your own problems.”
The researchers call the bias Solomon’s Paradox, after the king who was known for his wisdom, but still failed at making personal decisions.
