Weekly I/O: How cultures communicate differently, Why most elevators have mirrors, Three questions to find what to write

#85: High and Low Context Cultures, Elevator Mirrors Psychology, Head Heart Wallet, Four Reasons to Post, Three Ways to Get Paid

Cheng-Wei Hu

Oct 20, 2024

Yo friends,

Greetings from San Francisco!

Here's your weekly dose of I/O. I hope you enjoy it!

Input

Here's a list of what I'm exploring and pondering on this week.

1. Different cultures communicate differently. High-context cultures rely on implicit communication and relationships, while low-context cultures prefer explicit exchanges and individual focus.

Article: 1.4.6 - Context of Cultures: High and Low

Different cultures communicate in different ways. One useful way to examine these differences is through the framework of high-context and low-context cultures.

People in high-context cultures are usually:

Rely more on implicit communication and nonverbal cues.
Focus on long-term relationships to derive meaning.
See communication as an art and a way to connect.
Take time to build trust in relationships.
Value group identity (family, culture, work).
Are flexible with time and prioritize getting things done over strict schedules.
Examples: Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Indonesian, Korean, Arabic, Brazilian, and French Canadian.

On the other hand, people in low-context cultures are usually:

Prefer explicit and direct communication.
Focus more on the message than on relationships.
See communication as a way to share information and opinions.
Form and end relationships quickly.
Value individual identity and achievements.
Follow strict schedules and like to do one thing at a time.
Examples: German, Israeli, Swiss, Dutch, Scandinavian, American, Canadian, Australian, British, and English Canadian.

This framework was developed by anthropologist Edward T. Hall, who also studied how different cultures view time. Of course, this is a general framework and doesn't apply to everyone in these cultures. But it can still help understand cultural differences. Remember, "All models are wrong, but some are useful."

You can take this survey if you're curious about where you fit on this low and high-context continuum. My low context score is 12 points higher than my high context score.

2. Approach technical problems with psychological solutions: Elevator mirrors reduce perceived waiting time by distracting passengers.

Article: Why Do All Elevators Have Mirrors?

Have you ever wondered why most elevators have mirrors?

While there are several explanations, including reducing claustrophobia, discouraging bad behavior (passenger's feeling of being watched), and making it easier for people in wheelchairs, there's one explanation I found the most interesting: mirrors help distract people from the wait time to go from one floor to another.

When elevators were first introduced, many people complained about the lengthy time it took to travel between floors. However, at that time, it wasn't technically feasible to make elevators faster. So instead of focusing on the technology, designers found a solution by understanding human psychology: they added mirrors.

It turns out that people generally enjoy looking at themselves (how surprising, huh?). By adding mirrors, elevator designers made the waiting time feel shorter emotionally, even though the actual travel time remained the same. Passengers became distracted and less stressed about the wait.

I like this explanation because it demonstrates that, sometimes, it's better to approach a problem by understanding human psychology instead of focusing on technological improvements.

If you want to learn about waiting (instead of doing it), The Psychology of Waiting Lines is a fun paper to read.

3. Head, Heart, Wallet: Three questions to find what to write.

Course: Write of Passage

I'm recently taking the writing bootcamp Write of Passage, and David provided these three questions to ask yourself if you don't know what to write about.

What does your head want to write about? This is about curiosity. What do you want to learn about?

What does your heart want to write about? This is about passion. What do you really care about?

What does your wallet want to write about? This is about profit. What could earn you money?

If you can't find a topic that fits all three, explore where the conflicts are. For example, a topic might be interesting and profitable but not something you're passionate about. Understanding these tensions can help you make better decisions about what to write.

4. Four reasons people post things: sound smart, be funny, look hot, look rich.

Tweet: Nikita Bier on X

To make people share your product online, it's useful to keep in mind that there are four reasons people post things:

To sound smart
To be funny
To look hot
To look rich

Therefore, when designing the sharing flows for your product, you have to make sure you can help your users achieve those goals.

This is from Nikita Bier, one of the most in-demand consumer, social, and growth experts who sold two social apps to Discord and Facebook. To learn more, you can also check out his interview on Lenny's.

5. Lie to people who want to be lied to, and you’ll get rich. Tell the truth to those who want the truth, and you’ll make a living. Tell the truth to those who want to be lied to, and you’ll go broke.

Article: Three Ways to Get Paid

The financial success of a message depends on aligning it with the audience's desires. Don't tell them the truth if they want to be lied to.

From Jason Zweig:

There are three ways to make a living:

Lie to people who want to be lied to, and you’ll get rich.
Tell the truth to those who want the truth, and you’ll make a living.
Tell the truth to those who want to be lied to, and you’ll go broke.

Recap

Try answering these five simple questions to review and reinforce what you've learned:

That's it. Thanks for reading. Please share which input you found the most helpful or intriguing. Just reply to this email with a number—it's quick and easy!

And as always, feel free to send me any interesting ideas you came across recently!

Looking forward to learning from you.

Cheers,

Cheng-Wei

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