13 Odd Human Behaviors Explained By Science

Jun 18, 2018 by apost team

Have you ever wondered why one person may laugh at something other people cry or get angry over? Ever wonder why you get goosebumps when you aren’t cold? How about the origins of gossiping? Much of the human brain remains an enigma exhibiting behavioral oddities and puzzles for science to explore. We are complex and unique creatures who continually struggle to make sense of both our fellow man and ourselves.

Science is giving us answers to just such crazy oddities we wonder the whys and hows about. Let’s explore 13 of them: 

Anyone claiming to have never lied is probably standing under a money tree in their backyard paved of gold by a shirtless Tony Stark. Everyone lies. 

Those with a dependency or strong inclination to lie will do so regardless of time. However, science says that humans with a tendency towards honesty are most honest in the morning, or whenever they first awake, and that this honesty tendency decreases throughout the day. Why? Moral conscious and self-control tire just as the brain and body do throughout the day. 

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Washing hands is symbolic of both physical and moral cleanliness as doubts, blame, anger, worry, hesitations, and fear are symbolically washed away with the actual dirt and grime. University of Michigan psychologists say that our brains treat the act of hand washing as a chance for new beginnings from bad decisions and mistakes. 

Parents can attest that a child, no matter how germ-ridden and worn it gets, must have their one favorite blanket or stuffed animal to feel secure and happy. Part of this is the haptic sensations the feel of the object brings. Haptic sensations, how something feels to our touch, influences our behavior based on how we respond to the sensation. 

These sensations can bolster your confidence, fear, weakness, pride, or anxiety - all depending on how your body responds to the tactile sensation you feel from touch and how your mind associates those feelings. So, someone touching a rough surface may think about a rocky romantic relationship. Someone touching a cold surface may feel loneliness. Someone carrying something heavy may feel a surge of confidence. In fact, science has shown that those carrying their resume in a heavy folder feel more self-assured and confident during job interviews. 

It only takes four seconds for silence to become awkward according to scientific data, and the reasoning is primal social fears. We are social creatures by nature, wanting to belong and be accepted. Silence threatens that need by allowing self-doubt and fear to creep into our minds about our social placement and status. On the other hand, active conversations reassure us that we are needed, valued, belong, and are being accepted by peers. 

You’re just dozing off and suddenly a limb jerks and makes you think you’ve fallen. It’s truly a weird and puzzling experience. Studies show that between 60% to 70% of us experience twitching, or hypnagogic jerks, as we fall asleep. These are involuntary muscle spasms often induced by fatigue, stress, anxiety, over-exertion, and caffeine consumption. They can also occur when our nerves are overloaded or confused. 

That still doesn’t explain the falling sensation that some people feel just as the muscle twitches, though. So, science once again offers an explanation. Our ancestors commonly slept in trees to avoid large predators and ground insects. As they fell asleep, their nerves, brain, and muscles all communicated so that they wouldn’t fall out of the tree as they slept. In other words, they’d twitch awake or to move to actually keep from falling. 

Blood vessels constricting beneath the skin is what physically causes the distinctive wrinkling of fingers and toes. As to its purpose, science suggests that this is something passed along from our ancestor’s need to have a firm grip for catching and gathering food in wet areas and traction control for traversing wet grounds. 

Science suggests such laughter is usually caused by feelings of helplessness and emotional turmoil. It’s not from the same origin as our sense of humor; instead, it’s a symptom of stress and anxiety. Our bodies use laughter as a natural stimulant to release feel-good hormones in order to alleviate mental and physical pain. Sometimes, it can even be an attempt at relationship-building and maintenance since laughter is the emotion associated with togetherness. Science has also shown that the human brain continually processes the reasons for laughter throughout life, meaning we very slowly understand the concept of laughter and gather appropriateness over time. 

Do you know how to spot a psychopath? They don’t empathize and therefore can’t yawn after you. From Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy to Jodi Arias, humans have a long history of being fascinated by sociopaths, psychopaths, and the alike. We know that these are people without the ability to empathize or feel normal emotions and that they inflict their cruelty and sadistic behaviors upon others. Yet, somehow the real-life versions get hundreds of thousands of offers for friendship and romance as they serve out jail sentences and the movie figures end up being the characters we worship and romanticize. 

Science has multiple theories on this obsession with the psychopath. One theory is that decent people live vicariously through the images of psychopaths, allowing them to figuratively step out of their law-abiding shoes to experience new, taboo, unknown, fantasy, or stimulating things. Another theory involves the predator characteristics and danger of psychopaths waking up our own animal instincts. Then there’s the rose-colored glasses theory of a psychopath’s charm and charisma being a mask that some cannot fathom anything truly bad lurking underneath. 

Gossip was actually an important tool in ancient civilizations by helping to warn them of impending dangers, identifying foe from 
friend, and carrying important news. Prior to WWII’s start, many Jews fled Germany to safety due to gossip and rumors about what Hitler had in store for them. So, while gossip can cause harm and hurt feelings and is often nothing more than social entertainment today, it also has played a crucial role in avoiding danger throughout history. 

Shifty eyes are typically perceived as being sketchy and up to no good, but did you know that our eyes move around to help us remember things, too? Science is quite split on interpreting eye movement in regards to memory recall versus retention. Some believe that memory recall causes you to simply look away and trying to withhold information causes your eyes to wander. Other studies, however, such as one involving the elderly, have shown that people move their eyes in the same patterns whether they’re trying to recall or keep information hidden. Science is clear, however, on the fact that moving your eyes around helps you to take in information, process it, and remember it. 

It never fails that the person before you is going to use the last paper towel or toilet paper and not replace the roll, right? Science has an explanation in that humans lack the motivation for such mundane tasks because they’re not challenging, rewarding, nor significant. Our motivation to complete tasks comes from satisfying at least one of these three psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. 

You see a cute little baby animal or small child and you automatically want to snuggle, love, and attend to its every need. The reason? Evolution. We want the human race to thrive and continue on with our legacies. Baby schema, which involves physical characteristics of cuteness like big eyes and plump cheeks, sends a signal to our brain that the subject needs our care and attention. 

Science says that these are defense mechanisms developed from our human and animal ancestors. Perhaps as a warning for weather changes and threats. They’re caused by the tiny muscles attached to our body hair contracting underneath the skin, which then pulls the hair and causes it to stand at attention. Cold contracts the little muscles, but adrenaline released during times of stress, anxiety, and highly emotional situations also cause the muscles to contract. 

How many of these weird human behaviors have you experienced? Can you explain any other weird human behaviors? Show this article to your friends and family and tell us your story!