Charles Duhigg (@cduhigg) header
Charles Duhigg (@cduhigg) profile picture

Charles Duhigg

@cduhigg

Journalist @NewYorker & NYT Bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators. Over 15M+ readers. Check out Supercommunicators 👇

charlesduhigg.com/supercommunicators
Joined February 2009
  • Tweets31.1K
  • Following4.2K
  • Followers55.4K
Supercommunicators just spent its 22nd week on the New York Times bestseller list, so I want to share 10 🚫shallow questions vs. 🤝deep questions to help you become a supercommunicator at work: A thread 🧵
14
29
6
216
42,579
Waiting for motivation never works, researchers found it shows up after you start, not before. Here’s the trigger that actually works:
7
3
52
5,076
more replies
None of these choices change the actual task in front of you. What they do is prove to your brain that you're still in control, and that feeling of self-determination is what gets you moving in the first place.
1
1
5
582
So next time you're waiting to feel motivated before starting something, stop waiting and make one small decision instead, even a meaningless one. The motivation shows up right after, once you're already moving.
2
8
542
Bad habits aren’t a willpower problem. They come from one part of your brain, and once you understand it, they’re much easier to break. Here’s how it works: 🧵
1
2
36
5,358
more replies
Your brain also can't tell the difference between a good habit and a bad one, so a destructive pattern just sits there waiting for the right cue and reward to fire it off again, no matter how many times you've told yourself you know better.
1
3
687
Habits get wired deep enough to override common sense entirely. Understanding a habit is bad for you was never the missing piece, since your brain isn't asking your logical mind for permission before it acts.
1
3
842
This is the fastest way to fix a stale conversation and build instant rapport. Most communication guides tell you to mimic the other person's body language, but that often backfires and makes you look incredibly fake. This can help you. The Intensity Matching Theory: 🧵
2
2
41
7,632
more replies
If someone shares an exciting story or laughs uproariously, and you respond with nothing more than a polite, quiet smile, your minds drift out of sync. Their primitive brain registers your low energy as a sign that you don't care, you aren't listening, or you aren't genuinely trying to bond.
1
5
1,016
When someone opens up or laughs at their own mistake, jump in the boat with them and match their volume and energy. That shared intensity is what tells their brain you're actually listening, and it builds trust faster than any careful tracking of posture or hand gestures ever could.
1
10
954
Your brain is constantly lying to you about how uncomfortable deep conversations actually are. Most people stick to safe, boring small talk because they assume asking real questions will cause extreme social awkwardness. Here is what the science says: 🧵
3
2
41
5,970
more replies
The hidden cost of playing it safe with boring questions like "How is the weather?" is that you waste your cognitive energy on scripts that nobody cares about. Human beings deeply crave being known, and they are usually waiting for someone else to break the ice.
1
1
1
7
886
We crave deep talk but hide behind small talk to stay safe. Pierce the illusion of awkwardness. Ask one real question, take the risk, and watch the defensive walls vanish instantly.
1
13
726
Load more