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Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Little Happier: In a Public Restroom, Which Stall Do You Choose?

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.713K Ratings

🗓️ 8 November 2021

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A woman told me her clever system for choosing the least-used stall in a public restroom, which reminded me that we’re more alike, and more different, than we imagine—because her system for outwitting the public is the same system that everyone else uses, too. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happiercast.com/sponsors. Happier with Gretchen Rubin is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Do The Thing, Side Hustle School, Happier in Hollywood and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Many of us are already planning our New Year's resolutions to work out more in 2023.

0:04.4

But let's face it, they rarely stick.

0:06.6

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0:20.7

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0:25.6

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0:30.0

I'm Gretchen Rubin and this is a little happier.

0:33.0

In my long study of happiness, good habits and human nature, one thing I've concluded

0:38.3

is a paradox that we are more similar to other people and also more different from other people

0:44.8

than we imagine. We often underestimate how common a behavior belief practice or preferences,

0:51.7

and we also overestimate how common a behavior belief practice or belief is.

0:58.7

Here's an example of how it's easy to underestimate how widespread an assumption or behavior is.

1:06.4

I remember talking to someone about habits related to using public restrooms.

1:10.9

And I am very interested in people's habits, but why we happen to be exploring that particular

1:16.5

angle? I do not remember. She told me with modest pride in her ingenuity.

1:24.1

I always want to use the least used stall in a public restroom, so I never choose the first stall.

1:29.9

I took one in the middle. I had to break the news to her.

1:34.8

Actually, I said, research shows that it's the stalls in the center that get the most used.

1:40.4

She thought she was making a choice to outwit everyone else, and everyone else was doing exactly

1:48.7

the same thing. We're more alike and more different than we think. I'll post a link to the research

...

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