Mike Carruthers

Again, that's a great question.

Well, there's a lot of good news in what you've said, because if people understand and know what the risk factors are for cognitive function, then you're armed with the knowledge, and then you act accordingly.

I've been speaking with neurologist Dr. Majeed Fatui.

The name of his book is The Invincible Brain, The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life.

And there's a link to that book in the show notes.

Thank you, doctor.

The next time you make a request of someone, whether you're asking for a favor or a commitment or help with something, add a simple phrase like, but you're free to say no.

Psychologists call it the but-you-are-free compliance technique, and research shows it significantly increases the chances that someone will say yes.

A meta-analysis of over 40 experiments found that simply reminding people that they're in control of the choice makes them more likely to say yes.

And this was in context from giving money to completing surveys.

In one classic study, adding a freedom reminder phrase like that boosted compliance from about 10% to nearly 50%.

The psychology behind it is pretty simple.

When people feel their freedom isn't threatened, they experience less resistance and are more willing to help.

So the next time you ask for something, try, can I ask you a favor, but you're free to say no.

And you might be surprised how often the answer is yes.

And that is something you should know.

It would be really helpful if you would help spread the word about this podcast by telling someone or sharing this episode with someone.

People actually like to get recommendations for podcasts because, you know, there's so many of them.

It's nice if somebody actually recommends one.

And so you could recommend this one.