Summary of 59 Seconds by

Richard Wiseman

Written by Alyssa Burnette

A creative approach to changing your life in under a

minute.
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................. 5

If You Want to Get That Job, You Need to Make People Like You ............... 6

Cultivate Positive Relations With Others Through Vulnerability ................. 9

Think About the Positive .............................................................................. 11

Final Summary ............................................................................................ 13

Introduction

How many things do you think you can do in one minute or less? When you
think about it, one minute seems like an infinitesimally small amount of
time! You might think that there is nothing you can do in one minute that
would make a difference in your life. But you might be surprised to know
that, actually, there are 40 tasks which take only one minute and which can
have a significant impact on your quality of life. For example, in one minute,
you can make your bed. You can clean your bathroom mirror. You can trim
your toe nails. You can microwave rice, popcorn, or an instant cupcake in a
mug. You can plug up your phone to charge. You can pick up your dirty shoes,
underwear, or dishes, and put them where they belong. You can take your
vitamins, water your plants, or replace the toilet paper in your bathroom. All
of these tasks are incredibly small but they can make you happier and tick off
a few necessary items on your to-do list that human beings often avoid.

But this book actually isn’t about any of these tasks! This little list is just some
free advice. Instead, this book is about some deeper psychological concepts
that can change your life. Because it might take years of time and study-- not
to mention thousands of dollars-- to pursue a degree in psychology and learn
these things in a classroom. But it takes a lot less time to benefit from the
author’s personal experience in studying and practicing psychology. Thanks
to his years of time and study, you can absorb some quick and practical
lessons that can be implemented in one minute. Don’t believe me? Just keep
reading! Because over the course of this summary, you’ll learn how most of
the challenges in our lives aren’t as deep or complicated as we think. In
reality, they’re rooted in simple psychological concepts that can be quickly
understood and put into practice.
If You Want to Get That Job, You Need to Make
People Like You

Getting a job is a big priority for pretty much everyone in the world. We
gobble up self-help books about nailing the interview. We take classes
designed to help us improve our resume, improve our interview skills, or help
us stand out from the crowd. We bulk up on extra curriculars and extra credit
classes in the hopes that they will help us appear competent and qualified to
the interviewer. But the author observes that all of these things aren’t quite
as helpful as we think!

While it’s definitely important to have the right tools and education for the
job, nailing the interview usually depends more on the interviewer’s
impression of you than on your qualifications. So, if you really want to be
successful in an interview and get the job you want, it’s important to make
the interviewer like you. And doing that requires you to learn about likability.
So, what makes a person likable? And how do you make a good first
impression? The author observes that positive body language is key to giving
someone a positive first impression of you. If you haven’t thought about
positive body language before, we’ll break it down by considering the
difference between “open” and “closed” body language. You might not be
familiar with the names of these categories, but you definitely know them
when you see them! For example, let’s say you’re confronting your teenage
son about the amount of time he wastes in his room playing video games. If
he stands with his arms folded across his chest and rolls his eyes at
everything you say, you get the message loud and clear: he’s closing himself
off from you and putting emotional distance between the two of you.

Similarly, if you’re meeting your best friend for lunch and she stands up to
greet you with open arms and a big smile, you can tell that her response is
open and warm. So, keep these principles in mind when you’re meeting
someone new for the first time! Don’t be like your grouchy teenager; use your
body to communicate openness. This might mean standing with your arms
hanging loosely at your sides-- a position that suggests you’re at ease with
yourself and others-- and with your body turned towards the other person in
an open and inviting manner. By leaning towards the other person slightly,
you indicate that you’re interested in them and what they have to say. This
creates a friendly atmosphere and invites the other person to feel at ease in
your presence.

Maintaining direct eye contact is the next step. Obviously, you don’t want to
stare them down; too much unblinking eye contact and they may start to
wonder if you have a creepy hidden dungeon in your basement. So, instead,
initiate a few seconds of direct eye contact while smiling. This says simply
that you see them and you’re positive and willing to engage. And as an added
bonus, this behavior will also help boost their impression of your IQ! We
know that because in 2007, researchers at Loyola Marymount University
conducted a study to measure the effect of eye contact on first impressions
of intelligence. Nora A. Murphy, the lead researcher, described her findings
as follows: "Looking while speaking was a key behavior. It significantly
correlated with IQ, was successfully manipulated by impression-managing
targets, and contributed to higher perceived intelligence ratings."
Unsurprisingly, Murphy also found that wearing glasses enhanced a first
impression of intelligence. So, while it’s not necessary to wear glasses if you
don’t already need them, good eye contact is a must!

Keep in mind that all of these nonverbal factors set the tone before you and
the other person ever speak a word. So, now that you’ve established a positive
vibe through your nonverbal communication, it’s time to turn your attention
to the spoken portion of your interaction. This is where a lot of people start
to falter, so the most important thing to remember is: don’t panic! Many
people shoot themselves in the foot from the get-go because they worry that
they’re going to say the wrong thing; as a result, they make themselves look
unnecessarily awkward. So, wherever possible, try to avoid overthinking and
other anxiety-inducing behaviors. Just go for the basics: smile, introduce
yourself with a simple, “Hi! How are you?” and tell them your first name.
This is an instant ice-breaker that invites the other person to respond in kind.
And if, like a lot of people, you’re worried about forgetting their name, you
can just repeat their name immediately afterwards in a natural way like
saying, “Allison. Great to meet you, Allison!” You can even compliment their
name if it feels natural to you or include an anecdote like, “Oh, my sister’s
name is Allison!”

If you implement these simple steps, anyone who meets you will be left with
a positive first impression. And the best part is that all of these tips can be
implemented in under one minute!
Cultivate Positive Relations With Others Through
Vulnerability

No one likes being criticized-- that’s simply a fact for every human being! But
sometimes, well-intentioned feedback can help us grow and learn. That’s
because there’s a difference between somebody saying, “You suck!” (which is
designed to cut us down) and constructive criticism that is designed to help
us grow. It’s never fun to hear that we’re in the wrong or that we should have
done something better, even if it’s true. But if we never acknowledge our
inadequacies and failures, we’ll never grow! So, even when it’s painful, we
have to be open to constructive criticism from people who have our best
interest at heart. The author observes that this is a crucial skill for any
person, but it’s especially important if you’re in a leadership position at
school or at work.

We often associate positions of power with immovable strength and

emotional security. And as a result, it’s easy to assume that leaders don’t need
constructive criticism, especially not from others. But in reality, everybody
needs advice and emotional support, no matter where you are in life! That’s
why it’s important for us to never feel as though we’re above taking advice
and support from people who care about us. In fact, the author observes that
our relationships with others are the most important things in our lives. Our
personal and professional relationships keep us grounded, keep us
connected, and keep us happy. Put simply, we need other people! So, don’t
be afraid to open up and be vulnerable with those around you.

Many people in positions of leadership feel that they shouldn’t be vulnerable

or admit that they are human too. But this actually strengthens your
relationships with others and encourages them to like and trust you! Above
all, people value sincerity and authenticity. So don’t try to appear powerful
or confident or infallible. Just focus on being real. Because when you’re real
and honest with yourself, you communicate a few things to others. For one
thing, you show that you’re open and relatable. This will make people like
you more because they will feel like they can identify with you. This also
opens the door for new friendships and healthy communication because
someone else can respond to your vulnerability by saying, “Hey, don’t worry
about it! We’ve all been there, and it takes courage to admit when you’re
wrong.” So, this is one positive outcome that arises from vulnerability.
Another benefit is that being open about your own struggles communicates
to others that it’s okay to struggle with things and it’s okay to be honest about
it. So, when you lead by this example, you advance a culture of sincerity and
honesty that encourages other people to be emotionally healthy too. And
when you encourage other people to be their best, healthiest selves, you know
you’re succeeding as a leader!

So, when you find yourself in a leadership position, don’t make a few of the
common mistakes that typically beset people. Don’t assume that you have to
be anything you aren’t. If you’re nervous or new at something, it’s okay to say
that! And don’t assume that a position of power automatically grants you
emotional stability. Leaders struggle too and no one is perfect. And lastly,
don’t ever feel as though you’re too important to acknowledge that other
people may have good insights about how you can improve. Being a leader
doesn’t make you better than everybody else; it simply means that you have
an opportunity to guide and encourage others. So, be vulnerable, be honest,
and be open to constructive criticism. Accepting feedback with grace is part
of our “never stop learning” philosophy because you can’t grow if you never
learn anything new! And all growth starts with admitting that you have room
to improve.
Think About the Positive

If you’re like most people, you’ve already encountered a few life events that
have left you battered, bruised, and a little worse for wear-- physically,
emotionally, or both! And no matter what other differences divide us,
everyone in the world can agree that being hurt, offended, or betrayed is
no fun. It doesn’t help that the human brain has a tendency to fixate on
negative experiences instead of the positive ones. 9 times out of 10, if our
brains are faced with a happy moment or a sad moment, our brains will
store a memory of the sad moment because pain naturally lingers with us.
So, when those negative circumstances pile up throughout our lives, it’s
no surprise that people become cynical, depressed, and unforgiving. It’s
also unsurprising that we struggle to focus on the positive. However, the
author’s research indicates that a quick and subtle shift in your mentality
can make all the difference in the world. Just start by trying this simple
exercise!

Start by thinking about a memory that’s painful for you. Maybe you failed
a test that really mattered to you or your romantic partner dumped you.
No doubt about it: both of those things are sad and disappointing! But
when you think about that event, don’t opt for a solution that temporarily
relieves your stress and anxiety. Drowning your sorrows in a pint of Ben
and Jerry’s might be helpful in the moment-- and there’s nothing wrong
with that!-- but you can’t pursue these options as genuine solutions to your
problems. Instead of being distracted from your pain, you want to be able
to cope with it in a healthy way. So, when you think about that painful
memory, ask yourself one simple question: how did this experience help
me to grow? If necessary, you can even tweak the question to say
something like, “What did I learn from this experience?” or “How did this
experience make me a better person?”

If you ask yourself one of these three questions, you can always find an
answer for anything you’ve experienced. And because these questions
focus on character building and growth, they will help you to be better
prepared and more emotionally stable as you navigate life’s challenges.
Asking yourself any of these questions takes less than one minute. That’s
all you need to alter your mindset and put yourself on the path to healthy
habits.
Final Summary

When we think about self-improvement, we often envision a gargantuan task

that will take months or years of dedication. And, unfortunately, many self-
help books perpetuate this vision. This leaves many people feeling as though
the effort to improve their lives is more than they can handle, so people often
remain stuck in situations that are unhealthy and unnecessary.

The author’s research challenges these negative assumptions by providing a

faster alternative. His research proves that many of life’s most common
challenges can be overcome by practicing some simple life hacks that take
less than a minute. In under one minute, you can improve your future
prospects by making people like you, cultivating positive relations through
vulnerability, and altering your mindset.