Dearest readers, in my last blog post I shared with you some of the things that go through my head, different realizations I come up with. Honestly, there is a lot more I think about and, as a bit of an introvert, I think taking a step back from being entangled in hangouts and conversations in order to be alone with your thoughts is very important, if not therapeutic. Sometimes I hear from people (usually college students and soccer mom types) that they are so busy they have no time to think deeply about stuff. I always felt that could be due to inefficiency and a lot of "filler" busy work that is a real productivity killer- we are all guilty of this to some degree. My fear though, to be honest, is that if I do not take time to form my own ideas, I will accept other people's ideas without thinking them through, which means I would be completely open to one sort of indoctrination or another. Long story short (too late), I was drinking tea the other day and I went on YouTube to try and find out how slot machines work. No, I was not looking for an edge to win playing them- I was just curious if us the general population really know how they work since many of us put some money in them in our lifetimes. I found an old video that blew my mind because I, as many people I know, was completely wrong on how slot machines work. What is even more interesting, however, is seeing people's motivations and actions through that lens!
So, to start this crazy topic off, here is the original video; in case you cannot see the embedded version, you can also click here to check it out.
So, to start this crazy topic off, here is the original video; in case you cannot see the embedded version, you can also click here to check it out.
Now here is the part that really blew my mind. "Every machine has a computer chip inside it called a random number generator, or RNG, and that chip is making mathematical calculations very quickly, about 1,000 times a second, to determine which combination of symbols should appear in the reels. Then, when you push the spin button or pull the handle, that causes the chip to stop at that exact instant and choose a combination to display on the reels. This means when you see the reels spinning, the actual result of what will appear on those pay lines has already been chosen by the RNG. So, in reality, a slot machine wouldn't even need the spinning reels to show you whether you won or lost, but it's certainly a lot more exciting to see those spinning reels."
What?! What?! Mind...blown. So to simplify, the slot machine is constantly spinning really really fast in between different outcomes and you pressing the button stops it at a certain reward. Also, depending on what button you push (what bet amount you make), some results will not even be available to you at all! So, no max bet means no chance for a maximum jackpot payout.
After the video I asked myself almost immediately if this tells me something about people. I mean, if you look at people through the lens of how slot machines work, you get some interesting observations. A basic one is that what people are thinking feeling and planning is in a constant state of flux and it is being constantly calculated and recalculated- sort of like slot machines. So, when you interact with another human being, you are looking to push the right button at the right time and hope to get a certain outcome that you perceive as a reward. Finally, all of us- just like slot machines- are programmed to win more than we lose; we want to take in more than we pay out, whether this is in real or perceived value. None of this is really new, but it does explain one thing. It explains why people try and try again to achieve a certain outcome with certain people in their lives; there is literally a chance that if they just ask at the right time and the right way, they will get it. This is what we always see in sales and dating haha, or when kids keep asking for something again and again. It shows that persistence is a primal, solid strategy when interacting with people, especially today when being persistent will typically not get you hurt or killed unless what you persist in is dangerous, harmful and/or illegal.
Here, dearest readers, is that we arrive at the idea that the concept of a hard no and a soft no is not as new as many of us think it is. A hard no and a soft no have always existed among humans. A soft no means please try again, a hard no means try one more time and the casino security will escort you out. What is truly sobering and empowering, however, is that if you understand this well, you will most likely move from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. You will do so if, when you receive a hard no from someone on something, you move on to someone else because every new person is a source of either direct yes's or a few soft no's followed by a yes. The most important thing, I guess, is not to take a hard no as a personal loss. In fact, I would say it is a sign of success because you have successfully determined that this one thing you want from another person is a hard no, so you do not have to spend more time or other resources to try to obtain a yes. Sometimes, you can also get a hard no when you are looking to get the top jackpot but you are not pushing the max bet button. We all know what to do in that case- raise the bet and try again or go for a smaller payout.
At any rate, dearest readers, this entire mental exercise really confirms for me the old saying that the only thing constant in this world is change. More accurately, layers and layers of changes big and small, on top of each other or inside each other (no pun intended haha). Maybe the most important thing is to find yourself, find an anchor in this constant state of change and surround yourself with people who want to say yes to you and who you want to say a yes to- more times than not.
What?! What?! Mind...blown. So to simplify, the slot machine is constantly spinning really really fast in between different outcomes and you pressing the button stops it at a certain reward. Also, depending on what button you push (what bet amount you make), some results will not even be available to you at all! So, no max bet means no chance for a maximum jackpot payout.
After the video I asked myself almost immediately if this tells me something about people. I mean, if you look at people through the lens of how slot machines work, you get some interesting observations. A basic one is that what people are thinking feeling and planning is in a constant state of flux and it is being constantly calculated and recalculated- sort of like slot machines. So, when you interact with another human being, you are looking to push the right button at the right time and hope to get a certain outcome that you perceive as a reward. Finally, all of us- just like slot machines- are programmed to win more than we lose; we want to take in more than we pay out, whether this is in real or perceived value. None of this is really new, but it does explain one thing. It explains why people try and try again to achieve a certain outcome with certain people in their lives; there is literally a chance that if they just ask at the right time and the right way, they will get it. This is what we always see in sales and dating haha, or when kids keep asking for something again and again. It shows that persistence is a primal, solid strategy when interacting with people, especially today when being persistent will typically not get you hurt or killed unless what you persist in is dangerous, harmful and/or illegal.
Here, dearest readers, is that we arrive at the idea that the concept of a hard no and a soft no is not as new as many of us think it is. A hard no and a soft no have always existed among humans. A soft no means please try again, a hard no means try one more time and the casino security will escort you out. What is truly sobering and empowering, however, is that if you understand this well, you will most likely move from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. You will do so if, when you receive a hard no from someone on something, you move on to someone else because every new person is a source of either direct yes's or a few soft no's followed by a yes. The most important thing, I guess, is not to take a hard no as a personal loss. In fact, I would say it is a sign of success because you have successfully determined that this one thing you want from another person is a hard no, so you do not have to spend more time or other resources to try to obtain a yes. Sometimes, you can also get a hard no when you are looking to get the top jackpot but you are not pushing the max bet button. We all know what to do in that case- raise the bet and try again or go for a smaller payout.
At any rate, dearest readers, this entire mental exercise really confirms for me the old saying that the only thing constant in this world is change. More accurately, layers and layers of changes big and small, on top of each other or inside each other (no pun intended haha). Maybe the most important thing is to find yourself, find an anchor in this constant state of change and surround yourself with people who want to say yes to you and who you want to say a yes to- more times than not.