10 Questions to Stop Being So Mad

One major reason that Trump won, and a reason why friends of mine are out protesting in the streets, is because he got both sides really mad. He got Republicans and undecided voters so mad enough to go and vote. And he got liberals so mad that they stopped making sense and became the rage wrecks that we love laughing at Tea Party rednecks for being.

So here's a simple 10 point list to examine the next time you feel your rage bubbling. Because thinking societies are made up of thinking people, and it's really hard to think when you're red (or orange) with rage.

1. Why you mad, bro?
2. Why is that making you mad?
3. What are some good things that can come out of the reason you're mad?
4. How might you have chosen this unhappiness and how might you be able to change it?
5. What can you control that will make you less mad? i.e. What can you do to make yourself a little less mad right now that won’t make you more mad long term?
6. What are some long term things you need to change in order to not be mad again?
7. What are some things that you are grateful for?
8. Is there someone you appreciate that you should call or message?
9. Can you make something using your mad (article, art, blog, etc.)?
10. Do you realize that it’s okay to be mad, that unhappiness is as much a part of life as happiness, and that so long as you keep taking steps to get out of these feels, eventually you’ll make it out?

How to Keep the 2016 Election From Happening Again Part 1

Trump won. Protesting isn’t going to change that fact. And neither side is going to forget that this was one of the ugliest and most surprising elections in memory. So what do we do?

We can go on doing the things we’ve done that only soothes our regret or indulges our ids, or we can learn. And I’m speaking to both sides here. Beating up colored people won’t improve your circumstances anymore than occupying Wall Street will, but learning how not to be manipulated by messages crafted to deceive and mislead might. And they were crafted. On both sides.

Trump may be a bully, but he’s not an idiot. This election just proved that he’s more persuasive than Mark Cuban, Robert Cialdini, Hollywood, MSNBC and Hillary Clinton combined. So the first order of business is to learn what Jedi mind tricks he used to get here.

Remember: magic loses its power once you learn how it works. The glass sheet just under the surface makes the walk on water less miraculous.

It won’t be easy, in fact it actually takes more energy to be objective than subjective. But it will help you avoid days like Wednesday, when you were either harassed because you voted for Trump or harassed because you looked like someone who’d vote for Hillary.

I’m an ad guy, and I’m obsessed with persuasion and behavioral psychology. In the next few days/weeks, I’m going to break down some of the ways both candidates manipulated you. And then we’re going to look at what we can do to keep that from happening by thinking like Sherlock Holmes. Finally, we’ll learn how to fight back.

So if you’re interested, stay tuned.