Five factors that determine which job your brain is suitable for

Selected from: "It Doesn't Matter to Slow Down"

Translator: Chang Jianghan, Xu Chuqi

In the face of a rapidly changing world, we need to be creative and passionate , participate in it empathetically. Fortunately, everyone has an offline brain network. But humans themselves are also important as individuals. For example, are you an introvert or extrovert, open or conservative?

Everyone is listening to the lecture in the auditorium. Some are taking notes, some are observing carefully, some are bored or discussing other topics, some are impatient, and some want to speak as quickly as possible. Individual reactions vary. However, research has found that all types of personality always contain five basic factors.

1. Neuroticism and emotional stability.

Neurotic people are prone to self-doubt, insecurity, nervousness, worry, vulnerability, or impulsivity. They are more prone to negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and guilt, but they are very good at observation and teamwork.

Emotionally stable people are calm, confident, and steady. But the disadvantage is that it is a waste of time and even lazy behavior to think that the brain is offline.

The brain area where emotional stability is located affects the amygdala. The amygdala in the brain allows us to perceive threats and triggers fear. This fear does not necessarily have to be experienced; it can occur suddenly. It is the so-called "amygdala hijack", which is a fear reflex that reflects a person's emotional response to small stimuli. All the stimulation can be scary and overwhelming at times.

The term amygdala hijacking comes from psychologist Daniel Goleman’s book EQ: The Enduring Power of Happiness and Achievement throughout a Lifetime, and is used to emphasize that old brain structures in the brain can React immediately, sometimes inappropriately, to threats.

But taking the brain offline is like a good medicine, allowing us to learn to control the fear network and make the amygdala less active.

2. Extroversion and introversion.

How do people view the outside world? Extroverts pay more attention to the external world, like to get along with people, and like to take action. They are talkative, dominant, expressive, emotionally active and cheerful.

Introverts pay more attention to their inner world. You will consciously seek tranquility and your own inner peace, and use the energy contained in your heart. They are more analytical and transition to offline networks more easily.

Until a few years ago, introverts were often underestimated. But now people's tone has changed. Introverts are better at offline and creative. But they also need to be offline more than others: being online for long periods of time can make them stressed and overwhelmed.

Belgian writer Theo Compernolle likened the phenomenon to a canary in a coal mine. Coal miners once took canaries down the mines with them. They kept a close eye on the bird because if it had breathing problems, it could indicate gas in the mine tunnels.

Introverts are like canaries in a company, allowing us to see where a company is going wrong.

3. Openness.

Reflects how a person processes new information, knowledge, feelings, actions and values. Are you good at learning and understanding the emotional world of others? How much do you want to do something new? How to treat art and culture?

Open people can easily go offline and find their inner energy through offline networks. They always feel that there is something to learn, and their strengths are innovation, imagination, and curiosity. If the innovation around them is not fast enough, they may even appear a little rebellious.

They are also very empathetic because they find everyone attractive. Likes to be involved in other people's thoughts and can get along well with those who disagree with them. Good at listening to different ideas and theories. In other words, these people like to stay in the offline world.

4. Rigor.

Reflects a person's attitude towards his or her tasks, including reliability, sense of order, structure, punctuality, concentration, perseverance, goal-oriented and performance-oriented, etc. These are all positive characteristics associated with online networking.

Rigor is active in areas of the brain that are good at calculations, abstract thinking, and puzzle solving. This is also an area of ??logical and precise thinking, full of work deadlines. We can use this area to perform tasks with precision and perfect even the smallest details.

But there are always two sides to everything, and rigor sometimes leads people to indulge in perfectionism and thus ignore offline networks. It will be tiring to be rigorous all the time. It is necessary to go offline for a while periodically, otherwise it will have adverse effects.

5. Agreeableness.

Refers to characteristics such as kindness, sincerity and compassion. People high in Agreeableness are willing to trust others, which is a characteristic of offline networks.

No one is 100% consistent with a certain factor, most are somewhere in between two extremes. In addition to personality differences, they are also affected by differences in values, expectations, attitudes, interests and preferences.

In René Diekstra's book "Personal Care", there is an interesting metaphor.

He compared these basic factors to five different paints. Due to genetic influences, these colors mix with each other to create various shades.

Some strong and some dull, when painting with mixed colors, the basis of the painting is already formed.

Then we can also apply a thin layer of paint on top of the original, which is the impact of education and the environment (positive or negative). Paintings can also be touched up and retouched, equivalent to adult training or therapy. But the original color can never be removed. The environment in which the painting is hung is also very important. Determines whether the painting will be considered a work of art.

Each of us is unique, but we all have to adapt to the same working model. Performance is measured through standardized tests that take little or no account of your attributes.

In other words, personality factors are not specifically good or bad. Extroversion is not better than introversion, and an introvert will do better in some situations than in others. A person's current workplace advantage may become a disadvantage in a few years.

Why don’t we allocate work based on people’s characteristics? In this way, the number of people suffering from burnout will be greatly reduced. Both business operations and personal development would benefit if those who are suited to being offline no longer become a liability and instead tap into their qualities, such as creativity and altruism.

Sadly, no one considers this when hiring. It is often seen that some companies always recruit the same type of people, but they also hope that the company's talents will be diversified.

★Senior stress management expert, specializing in treating all kinds of excessive stress.

Recently, have you ever felt overly anxious, busy, tired, troubled with interpersonal relationships, or burnt out at work? Why do you never have time to relax? Why are you always afraid of not being able to make it in time? Dr. Luc Sweening is a Belgian psychotherapist, statistician and business consultant. We have been committed to stress research since the 1990s. Based on professional psychological theories, big data statistics and business people's experience, combined with more than 20 years of research results, we have developed this set of highly effective methods tailored for the fast-paced involution era. Workbook and rest rules.

★Science teaches you to balance your brain, so that a healthy brain can be more efficient.

This book subverts traditional cognition, uses cutting-edge neuroscience to reveal the daily working patterns of the brain, and vividly and popularly introduces to us the division of labor between the "online brain" that focuses attention and the "offline brain" that is responsible for creative imagination. and working mechanism. Tell you how important it is to keep your brain in balance. As the author has repeatedly emphasized, people who often slow down their pace and relax themselves are more likely to let their "offline brain" take effect, so that they can be full of creativity, be flexible, solve problems, and naturally improve efficiency.

★10 essentials and 14 methods. "Slower" is more efficient.

What drives our behavior? The relationship between boredom and creativity? What should I do if I feel job burnout? How to reduce chronic stress in your life? The book accurately summarizes the causes of stress and fatigue, and provides 10 basic principles for maintaining brain health and vitality based on different issues. 14 ways to enter the offline brain, such as sleeping efficiently, developing a growth mindset, reversing negativity, learning to associate, and finding flow. It is close to life and requires no professional training. It can be used immediately after learning and has strong operability. It can effectively improve sub-health conditions such as staying up late, insomnia, obesity and so on. Help people stay away from psychological "modern diseases", improve interpersonal relationships, regain creativity and empathy, and regain control of their work progress and quality of life. thereby improving efficiency and quality.

Endless work, cumbersome family affairs, the explosion of information in electronic products... We are being driven forward, and our leisure time is getting less and less. As a result, stress, anxiety and job burnout follow one after another, and we gradually lose empathy and creativity, and even alienate the people around us...

In this fast-paced involution era, being able to rest efficiently Relaxation is crucial. With the support of more than 20 years of experience in stress research, Dr. Luc Sweening, a famous Belgian medical scientist and social psychotherapist, pointed out that if we want to survive the fierce competition every day, it is very important to occasionally put our brains in offline mode. Necessary. This book gives 14 daily tips for entering the offline brain to help us deal with stress in a more scientific, positive and stable way, develop healthy brain-using habits, restore vitality and creativity, and ultimately improve interpersonal relationships and work. efficiency.

Luc Swinnen: Belgian insurance medicine and statistician, psychosocial therapist, and business consultant. He has been deeply involved in stress research since the 1990s. Following the rules of brain function and combined with more than 20 years of experience, a suitable working model has been developed. Published works include "101 Answers to Stress and Burnout", "Excessive Friendliness", "Don't Give Burnout a Chance", etc.

Chang Jianghan: graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University with a major in Dutch, a Dutch and English translator, and a freelance illustrator. Served as a translator at the Language Center of Ghent University. His translated works include "Invisible Talent" and "The Book of Emotions".

Xu Chuqi: graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, majoring in Dutch, and is a Dutch and English translator. He once received the Minister of Culture of Flanders in Belgium and the former Cultural Counselor of the Netherlands when he visited China. Participated in the reception of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during his visit to China.

Robots and artificial intelligence are gradually taking over human work. They never get tired, never take a vacation, or go on strike.

But as long as we give our brains effective rest, humans can differentiate themselves from robots through emotion and creativity. Anyone who wants to create a good environment for their offline brain will find the necessary inspiration in this book.

——Eddie Vandenbrille, co-founder of Brain Information Network

Pausing will actually make your progress more energetic, rich in content, and more directional. clear. It helps us face whatever lies ahead that we worry about and feel unsure about.

—— Joe Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy

When you look around, you can make full use of your brain.

——Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft

If you sit down and observe quietly, you will find how anxious your mind is. When you calm down, your mind will have more space, allowing you to notice more subtle things. At this time, your intuition begins to develop, you can see things more clearly, and you can feel the real environment better. Your vision will be greatly expanded, and you will be able to see things you could not see before.

—— Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple