Human Behavior

Individuals, habits, emotions, cognition, decision-making.

Atlantic, by Teekay Rezeau-Merah

Life is a beautiful mystery

July 8, 2025 — Leave a comment

People are oddly mesmerizing.

Sometimes I catch glimpses of conversations, some are deep, others shallow. Both fascinate me. How humans think and function, how they make their own choices, and sometimes, how they lie to themselves.

I like watching people walk together. I can’t help but think of our ancestors, how they moved in groups, hunter-gatherers, until wheat domesticated us (not the other way around). I wish we could go back.

It’s funny how a child’s walking style often matches a parent’s gait, or how the way someone sits says so much about them.

I get stuck watching clothes spin in the dryer. I don’t wear a lot of black (or any, really), so it’s like a rainbow in there. It always reminds me of this Senegalese myth from Ashura Day, where a rainbow means the Prophet’s (PBUH) daughter is doing her laundry. It’s funny, in a sweet way.

Oral traditions must be protected at all costs.

I love the bees and butterflies that hang around when we’re outside. It’s so peaceful.

Fire is mesmerizing. I’ve always been fascinated by it, so much so that, when I was little, one of my experiments went wrong and set my bedroom on fire. Oops! I love bonfires, fireplaces, candles. I used to burn incense just to watch the smoke. I’m also strangely drawn to steam, idk why.

Most people hate spiders. I love them. They really are special, nature’s elite.

Growing things makes no sense. How can a seed feed me with the most beautiful fruit or vegetable in no time? Just soil, water and sun? Endless abundance. Nature is incredible.

The world is full of magic. The stars, clouds, moving patterns, waves, the wind.

Pain is strange. It’s an immediate physical response, but if you think about it, step outside of it, it becomes something else. Just neuroreceptors sending signals. The whole process is wild. I dread pain. It reminds me of death, like it’s the final step before we go.

Skin is interesting. It’s the largest organ we have, yet we treat it like it’s nothing. I’m always amazed when it heals itself, like how? When I was a baby, I had second-degree burns on my face and third-degree burns on my chest. I went blind for a few days. I think about miracles a lot. We abuse our skin constantly, yet it keeps repairing itself.

Languages are mesmerizing. I think about them often. I compare languages in my head and try to understand those who invented them. Again, I think about our ancestors. How did they communicate? What was their humor like? What did they find funny? Did they understand death quickly? How did they distinguish little death (sleep) from big death?

I love the expression “life as we know it”. It plays in my head quite often. My personalities are different in different languages, I think most polyglots can relate.

Life is a beautiful mystery. One day you’re here…

Anyway, thank you for stopping by.

Peace!

Teekay

How Positive Affirmations Changed the Way I Think

August 28, 2023 — Leave a comment

Away from the clichés.

The human brain is a remarkable organ. It’s responsible for everything we think, feel and do. Our brains are the driving force behind our behavior and are constantly working to keep us safe from harm.

The manner in which our brains process information is not always reasonable, hence why it’s extremely common for us to craft negative narratives based on our past experiences.

  • Uncertainty

One of the ways our brains work to keep us safe is by perceiving uncertainty as a danger or a threat.

The reason we panic when we lose our mom in a supermarket, or lose sight of our hiking partner testifies to that. Being in unfamiliar or unpredictable situations makes our brains go into overdrive rather quickly. This phenomenon allows us to better assess the situation and determine whether it’s safe or not.

Whenever our brain perceives said situations as a potential threat, it immediately creates negative stories and outcomes, thus preparing us for the worst case scenario.

Fascinating, right ?

Our brains are wired to prioritize survival over happiness.

In other words, our brains are more concerned with keeping us ALIVE than with making us happy, which seems fair as far as I’m concerned.

However, and as a result, the narratives we create in the present are often based on experiences from the past, and most importantly, experiences that have led to negative outcomes.

These experiences are stored in our subconscious as core beliefs, which our brains use to create our current narratives.

  • Core beliefs

You may have heard this before (or not), but our core beliefs are often formed in childhood and are based on our experiences with our parents or caregivers.

For instance, people who grew up in an environment where they were constantly criticized or told that we weren’t good enough develop a core belief that they are unworthy or unlovable.

This belief then manifests in their present-day narratives, leading them to believe that they’re not capable of success or that they’ll never find happiness, or love.

The problem with these negative narratives is that they can become self-fulfilling prophecies. By believing that you’re not good enough or that you’ll never find happiness, you’re less likely to take risks or pursue your goals, which then leads to an unfulfilling and unsatisfying life.

  • How to overcome negative narratives

One way to overcome these narratives is to challenge your core beliefs.

By examining the beliefs we hold about ourselves and questioning where they come from (learning to unlearn), we begin to see that most of them aren’t based in reality.

It’s obviously easier said than done, but once you’ve taken that first step, the next step, which is to create new, more positive narratives will come more naturally.

For example, if you have a core belief that you’re not good enough, you can challenge that belief by focusing on your strengths and accomplishments, and what got you here.

I’ve always done this whenever I felt down. I love reminding myself of how far I’ve come, all the mountains I’ve climbed and empower myself that way. Positive affirmations are a major confidence boost and gratitude is key to a purposeful life.

Surrounding myself with supportive people and ONLY consuming empowering and positive content (audio, written and video) has also played a huge role in my fight against negativity and fear.

Another way to overcome negative narratives is to practice mindfulness.

Practicing mindfulness is one of my favorite topics on this blog. I wrote multiple pieces about it because I truly believe in the power it possesses in the fight against mediocrity, negative self-talk and defeatism.

Mindfulness, as most of you must know, is the practice of being fully present in the moment and observing our thoughts without judgment.

Practicing mindfulness makes me more aware of my own negative narratives and is a necessary step in my journey of letting go.

Practicing mindfulness also helps me focus on the present moment and the positive experiences I’ve had (or that I’m having), rather than worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.

Photo by Matt Collamer

So whoever is reading this, use this piece as a reminder to cultivate mindfulness, always question everything, including your core beliefs and to be kind to yourself.

Don’t take making it this far for granted, life ain’t easy but you’ve got this. Also, remember, our brains view uncertainty as a peril so don’t trick yourself into believing you’re alone in this fight against negative narratives, you’re not.

While our brains prioritize safety over happiness, positive affirmations are powerful enough to steer negative narratives towards positive ones. If anything, I’m living proof of this.

P.S.: Stay hopeful 🙂

Thanks for reading.

Tee.

The Age of Unprecedented Competition

July 31, 2023 — Leave a comment

The life of the average man is going to be more competitive than ever.

Numerous people have written about AI. Most focus on the technology itself, whether it’s a blessing or a threat.

I’m less interested in AI than in what it will demand from us. Because regardless of what happens, one thing seems certain: life for the average person is about to become far more competitive.

Is there reason to worry?

One thing is for sure, life always gets worse before it gets better.

This new era won’t be any different.

Those who adapt will thrive. Those who don’t will struggle.

The world has always favored the fittest, those who stand out. Being average is costly when it’s not convenient anymore.

  • What does it take to stand out ?

Well, you won’t like the answer, my friend, but it takes a lot of suffering.

The cure for pain is in the pain.

Embrace your losses, embrace being discriminated against, injustice, the rigged system. Embrace it, but never accept it. Fight it, that’s how you become resilient, tough.

You have to GO through it in order to GET through it.

Good times make us soft, so let the struggles begin, let it come, we’ll be fine.

Have some faith.

After all, as time passed, the world got meaner. It’s always been like that. This won’t be any different.

Our history is plagued with long periods of cruelty and conflicts. Cruelty has a thousand faces, AI may just be one of them, like automation was a few decades ago.

But again, going through bad times builds resilience, we just have to learn how to manage our demons.

I know not everyone can, which is unfortunate, but humans are as strong as our weakest link. There’s hope in that.

Don’t cower away from difficulty, don’t try to drown your problems. Don’t be that person.

Cowardice feeds our weaknesses.

Face life with bravery and remember, bad things happen to make exceptional people.

If you’re a man of God like me, think about all the messengers that came before us, all the things they went through.

It’s no coincidence.

Whether it’s AI or something else, humanity will always prevail.

Believe.

Thanks for reading.

Teekay

10 Unconventional Ways to Sleep Better

July 24, 2023 — Leave a comment

Mastering the mechanics of sleep transformed my lifelong struggle.

This is a follow up to my first piece I wrote on Medium titled: Snooze or Lose: 10 Sleep Secrets to Catch Those Z’s!

Let’s dive right in!

warm feet by Teekay Rezeay-Merah
Warm feet by Freepik
  1. CBD: Use it however you want, CBD may help some people relax before bed, although results vary.
  2. Sleep mask: Unless your room is PITCH BLACK, you need one of these. Light is the enemy of sleep, so get yourself a sleeping mask. You’ll thank me later. FYI, get ready to start dreaming for real !
  3. Stop eating three hours before bed. That’s right, three full hours. You know what’s the best part about this? By doing so, you will inadvertently start your Intermittent Fasting journey.
  4. Weighted blankets: They provide a calming effect and promote better sleep by increasing feelings of comfort and security. Some people find the gentle pressure calming.
  5. Warming your feet before bed, either with a warm foot bath or by wearing warm socks, helps dilate blood vessels and signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. I bet you didn’t know this one !
  6. Experiment with sleep positions: For example, sleeping on your left side alleviates acid reflux symptoms (but ditching dairy will eliminate those symptoms altogether, for good), while elevating your legs slightly improves circulation and reduces leg and back pain.
    I sleep on my back first, then turn. I like stretching my backbone before bed as well, hence my first position.
  7. Sleep in a cool room: Do keep your feet warm, though. A cool bedroom (around 65°F or 18°C) is often associated with better sleep. Our bedroom is often cooler than that in the winter.
  8. Use pink noise (I looked up why it’s call pink noise, I still don’t get it): This ambient noise has a soothing effect and drowns out other sounds that may disrupt your sleep.
  9. Try aromatherapy: Certain scents like lavender, chamomile, or vanilla have a calming effect and promote sleep. They also create a relaxing atmosphere, which is paramount to sleep well.
  10. Practice lucid dreaming techniques: These techniques allow me to become aware and almost control my dreams. Lucid dreaming has definitely enhanced my sleep experience and made it more restful, and fun. Yes, sleep can be fun too.

Many sleep problems improve once we address the habits surrounding sleep, though persistent insomnia deserves professional attention.

Update: recent studies have linked the lack of dreaming to certain illnesses like dementia and depression, and you can’t dream if you’re not getting proper sleep consistently.

Thanks for reading.

Tee.

monkey see, monkey do by Teekay Rezeau-Merah

How Marketing Manipulates Your Brain Through Mirror Neurons

July 17, 2023 — Leave a comment

An article is about a NeuroScientific and neuromarketing concept you never knew existed!

Our brains have this exceptional ability to act as a mirror. This ability is made possible thanks to what we call “mirror neurons”.

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell responsible for mirroring or simulating the actions of others.

The knowledge of these neurons is relatively recent. In fact, it wasn’t until the 90s that researchers first identified mirror neurons in macaque monkeys.

And what they found was fascinating !

Mirror neurons were found to activate when a monkey performed a specific action, such as grasping a piece of food.

However, the same neurons also activated when the monkey watched another monkey (or a human) perform the same action.

It was unexpected.

  • The Point

These incredibly cool neurons are said to play an important role in our ability to imitate and learn from others, as well as in our ability to empathize with and understand the intentions of others.

And to be honest, it makes perfect sense.

For instance, I realized very early on that my proficiency in learning new languages was attributed (in part) to my habit of mimicking the language patterns and communication styles of native speakers.

In fact, even when my knowledge of a language is limited, I make a conscious effort to replicate the way words and phrases are pronounced, rather than how they are written and spelled.

By “mirroring” others, I learned 10X faster than before, and I hardly forget anything. I can also sound “native” if I want to, in any language that I speak.

This strategy has been instrumental for me. Becoming fluent in six different languages and comfortable in a couple more didn’t happen overnight, but with the right tactic, language-learning can be a piece of cake.

Check out this little 3-minute clip if you wish to understand how it works.

With that being said, the effect of mirror neurons isn’t just limited to what we see or what we hear, our brain can even experience vicarious touch through others.

Perhaps this explains the boom of ASMR and the porn industry?

New technologies like Virtual Reality are already using the power of our mirror neurons to their advantage, and perhaps ours, as well.

For instance, VR is now used to help us fight certain mental illnesses and cure certain phobias.

VR can obviously never substitute real life, but it could potentially help many of us heal from certain things.

  • The Dark Side

As an ethical marketer, I must mention this.

In the world of marketing, understanding vicarious touch and mirror neurons has been a game changer.

Instead of designing ads and products blindly, we now purposely target your subconscious mind.

Doing so allows us to create more engaging and memorable experiences for our audience, thus driving up sales and clicks.

Marketers increasingly design experiences that engage our senses and make products feel more tangible, even through a screen.

So instead of making commercials that focus on the product alone, big corporations and marketers now hire actors and tap into all your senses to deliberately activate mirror neurons in you, the viewer.

There are numerous other tactics to trigger buying, here are a couple I’ve used in the past:

  • Product packaging: Mirror neurons can even be triggered through packaging. In fact, the texture and feel of product packaging evoke more tactile sensations in consumers than they know. For example, a package with a soft, velvety texture creates the impression of luxury and comfort, while a clear, matte packaging evokes warmth and superior quality.
  • Audio-visual experiences: Videos, music, podcasts and other types of media can evoke sensations of touch through sound and image. These techniques have long been used in the entertainment industry and in adverts to shape culture as a whole.
  • Scented products: Products that smell cut grass or mint create the sensation of coolness, while the the smell of lavender provides us with a sense of warmth and reminds us of our childhood (and possibly grandparents). Yes, smell is also used to drive up sales, but can only be used in physical businesses (for now).

Understanding human behavior allows us to look at ourselves with more depth.

Understanding ourselves doesn’t just make us wiser, it actually improves our decision making, hence this piece.

By reading this, I hope you’ve gained a bit more self-awareness and understanding of human behavior.

Thanks for reading.

Teekay