Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement The Weird Psychology of Communication, Self-control, and Gossip: What evolution teaches us about communicating your needs clearly
Feb 17, 2026
They trace language from jellyfish nerve nets to modern gossip and collective fictions. Compression is used as a mental model for squeezing big thoughts into words. The evolution of signalling, self-domestication, shame and blushing get tied to reputation systems. The role of shared stories in building money, nations and trust is explored.
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Cognitive Revolution Enabled Civil Behavior
- Human civility (e.g., sitting calmly on a plane) stems from a cognitive revolution that enabled complex language and cooperation.
- That revolution allowed strangers to follow shared rules without violence by communicating expectations and reputations.
Language Is A Compression Engine
- Language compresses rich inner experience into small packets of meaning and forces tradeoffs that shape creativity.
- Different languages compress different domains, which changes what groups notice and communicate efficiently.
Communication Evolved Long Before Humans
- Signalling and internal communication evolved long before humans, starting from cell signals to nerve nets in jellyfish.
- Each upgrade (neocortex in mammals, gestures in apes) increased social complexity and expressive range.
