The Surprising Power of Being Polite & Job Interview Secrets That Really Work-SYSK Choice
7/18/202652 min
Can simply believing a treatment will work actually help it work better? Surprisingly, yes. Researchers have found that your expectations can have a powerful effect on how your body responds to medication—even when the treatment itself hasn't changed. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/placebo-effect
Most of us think of politeness as little more than saying "please" and "thank you." But good manners do much more than make social interactions pleasant. They help build trust, strengthen relationships, reduce conflict, and even influence how people judge our competence and character. So why are some people naturally more polite than others? Do the rules of politeness change depending on where you are or who you're talking to? And can you be blunt—or even rude—and still earn people's respect? Louise Mullany has spent more than 25 years studying the science of politeness. She is Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham and author of Polite: The Art of Communication at Home, at Work and in Public (https://amzn.to/3xVN9Jo).
You can outsource your résumé, polish your LinkedIn profile, and even use AI to help write a cover letter. But when it's time for the interview, it's all on you. Too many candidates hope they'll "just answer the questions," only to discover they weren't nearly as prepared as they thought. Sam Owens explains what hiring managers are really looking for, the mistakes that immediately hurt your chances, and how a little preparation can dramatically improve your performance—whether you're interviewing in person or over Zoom. Sam is founder of Sam's Career Talk (https://www.samscareertalk.com/) and author of I Hate Job Interviews: Stop Stressing. Start Performing. Get the Job You Want (https://amzn.to/4f7xJSX).
MSG has had a bad reputation for decades. Many people avoid it because they believe it's unhealthy or causes unpleasant reactions. But where did that belief come from? And does today's science actually support it? The answer is much more surprising than most people realize. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-msg-really-harmful
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Mike Carruthers· Host0:29
[upbeat music] Today on Something You Should Know, will a medication work better if you truly believe it will? Then, politeness. It's the glue that holds civilization together, and it's the key to your success.
Louise Mullany· Guest0:44
As human beings, we're all aware of the fact that if we constantly speak our minds and we don't abide by politeness, we are going to make enemies, and we're not going to have very many friends. So there is a real in-built sense that we have that operates at quite a subconscious level as far as politeness is concerned.
Mike Carruthers· Host1:01
Also, is MSG really bad for you? And how to ace any job interview. What to say, what not to say, even what to wear.
Sam Owens· Guest1:10
What I say is dress not to impress. So you don't wanna be in sweat shorts, but you probably don't wanna be in a tux either. Find out what the dress code is and maybe dress just a little nicer than that, and so the interviewer can focus on you and your qualifications and not the way you look.
Mike Carruthers· Host1:25
All this today on Something You Should Know.
Unknown speaker1:28
[upbeat music]