I have always had pet peeves--certain behaviors by people that made me wonder, "What is motivating that reasonably rational person to behave in such a manner?" It was obvious to me that their behavior was exhibited for some reason other than that which the person wants us to believe. For example, I've always wondered: Why do athletes, entertainers, and others frequently and publicly proclaim, “I want to thank God”? I was certain that their reason was not to genuinely thank God, but for something more selfish. That curiosity led me to research the issue and, eventually, I formed what I believe is a reasonable proposition for such behavior: I believe that people fundamentally behave in such a way to establish, increase, maintain, or defend their feelings of being worthy, valued, purposive, and needed. Collectively, I call these self-notions "Significance."
I believe that such behaviors are irrational because they do not serve the purpose that the person wants themself and/or others to believe. Instead, I propose that their behaviors serve no purpose other than to mask the person's insecurities from themself and others; they do so to protect or strengthen their perception of significance.
In the context of this book, I define significance as that which possesses the qualities of worth, value (which embodies usefulness and purpose), and necessity. Whenever a "domain of significance" (things that make people feel good about themselves; valued, worthwhile, significant) is negatively impacted, people behave IRRATIONALLY to defend the domains: validation, prestige, respect, desirability, and preeminence.
“Significance” is a postulate or proposition for understanding human behavior. Specifically, it is a basis for reasoned discussion about why thoughtful, rational people behave so irrationally in everyday life. I believe that we fundamentally do so to establish, increase, maintain, or defend our feelings of being worthy, valued, purposive, and needed.
The hope for this book is that it provokes thought, leading the reader to reconsider the motivation of certain behaviors. In doing so, one gains insight into their inner self, which is a first step toward becoming better versions of ourselves.
Significance is a work of non-fiction in the self-help subgenre. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Tab Edwards. The book is an analysis of human behavior with a particular interest in why rational people do irrational things. By looking at the insecurities about our worthiness and value that lead to us behaving irrationally, in particular when an area of ourselves that we consider important is adversely affected and we abandon logical and rational thinking in our bid to defend it, the book aims to help people avoid the behavior pitfalls that keep us from being our best selves.
This book is a fascinating and thought-provoking read from start to finish as it looked into a difficult to articulate layer of human behavior to ask important questions about the habits we form seemingly to protect ourselves. Author Tab Edwards demonstrates his pedigree as a keen student of human behavior and consistently provides thought-provoking analysis and discussion on where our irrational behaviors stem from and what we stand to gain from understanding them better. I was particularly fascinated by the discussion on linking the values we have to the irrational behavior we use to defend them as the insights offered by the author on how we feel about our sense of self being attacked prompted much reflection in myself. Overall, Significance is an interesting read that approaches human psychology in a less formal, more grounded in world experience manner that makes it as accessible as it is useful.
