Those of us who purchase various forms of insurance—including business, automobile, medical, homeowners, renters, disability and life insurance—pay out thousands of dollars to our insurers every single year and rarely get to see what happens when major hiccups occur.

These unexpected accidents and emergencies are, of course, what we purchase the insurance for as an “in case of” precaution, however, not everyone fully realizes what happens when disaster strikes and we’re forced to really deal with these insurance companies.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to always deal with a reputable insurance provider. Do your due diligence and ask around for referrals. Check out various insurance company homepages and browse around to see what their services and plans are like. For example, you can visit the Suncorp life insurance website to learn more about their offerings.

Don’t Screw Up Your Application

All insurance companies are ready and willing to take your premiums, but they tend to be sticklers about paying out claims, and actively seek out ways to delay, or not pay them entirely. This is where your end of things becomes really important; the application you filed to obtain the policy, for example, must be as clean and truthful as possible—they’ll find out, if not! Why wouldn’t they? If your application proves to be invalid, the insurance company isn’t legally required to deliver a payout.

It’s important to understand that all insurance companies need to be able to generate profits through investments, much like banks, so if they’re paying out millions in claims, they have less to invest; if a large number of claims comes through during a critical investment period, their profits from investments suffer, because they don’t have the investment capital.

Due to this, an insurance company could simply drag out, or delay, fulfilling claims and save around 8%+ for the year in doing so; they’ve allowed themselves more time and money for investments, and further profits, before fulfilling claims. The 8% rises to 30% to 40% if the company engages in various forms of lowballing, or 20% to 30% saved by both confusing their policy holders into thinking they’re in the wrong, or by issuing wrongful claim denials.

With most policyholders largely uneducated in the legal matters, and fine print, of insurance companies, many just take the hit. After all, the company completely engineered the policy from conception—they wrote it, they explain it, they evaluate the claims, and they have all the money—so they are the power player here. So, what can you do to stay ahead of the game and educate yourself as a policy holder?

5 Surprising Things Insurance Companies Don’t Advertise To Policyholders

Below are 5 tips to help you play the insurance game as a savvy, educated, policy holder:

1. Through the interpretation of a policy and the investigation of a claim, an insurance company MUST convey their business and service in honest good faith (“Good Faith & Fair Dealing” Law).

• It is unlawful for an insurer to put their own financial interests ahead of a policyholder; this means that it is against the law for an insurance company to underpay or delay claims;
• It is against the law for an insurance company to in any way deceive or employ any kind of manipulation, or trickery tactic, when it comes to the handling of claims;
• All of the above mentioned are violations of the good faith to which they are held accountable by the law, and are prosecutable offenses.

2. If an insurance company breaches the “Good Faith and Fair Dealing” law, in any way, and the policyholder is forced to sue them in order to collect their benefits, the company is also fully responsible for all legal fees absorbed by the policyholder.

• In some cases, an insurance company that knows they acted unlawfully will attempt to under-settle, offering payment of the claim plus a certain amount extra, stating that the policyholder is receiving more from the settlement, but really, all they’re paying is what the policyholder is already owed, plus some of the legal fees that they would be responsible for, for acting unlawfully.

3. If it is discovered that your insurance agent solid you a cheaper policy that doesn’t provide enough coverage to actually cover the loss, the insurance company may have to pay for more than just what the policy benefits payout—they’ll have to pay for the entire loss, due to unlawful misrepresentation.

• In order to beat out competition, make their commission, and sell a policy, an insurance agent will sometimes underinsure whatever is being covered. For example, they’ll insure a piece of property that will cost $900,000 to replace for only $700,000, resulting in a lower premium that beats out every other insurer in town who truthfully offered premiums that would actually cover the full $900,000.
• These misrepresentations are usually discovered when a claim is filed and the “replacement guarantee” issued with the policy is rendered moot by the policyholder not wishing to rebuild the exact property, but invest the money elsewhere.
• If it comes to light that the policyholder was underinsured by the insurance agent, the policyholder is entitled to be paid for the full loss.

4. If there is any ambiguity in the fine print verbiage of your policy, all interpretations favor the policyholder.

• As mentioned previously, insurance company don’t want to pay out and they’ll make their policies an oxymoron-filled mess to do it. Some policies, when actually read, contradict what they’re covering almost completely, offering a million clauses and cases where they won’t fulfill a claim.
• If this verbiage is a loophole writer’s dream, you may have a case; in most cases it’s simple to prove that this verbiage is ambiguous and the result is a full benefit payout.

5. For all claim denials, the burden to prove the merit of the denial rests solely upon the shoulders of the insurance company, not the policyholder.

• All insurance policies have an “insuring clause” which goes into very minimal detail about what the policy is actually covering. The rest of the policy is a very long list of exceptions, exclusions, and limitations—lots of them! When you file a claim with the insurance company down the line, they want to be able to circle one of these and tell you that they can’t fulfill the claim—usually through a simple letter. Most of all, though, they want you to just accept that as fact and walk away.
• Most policyholder don’t realize that you don’t have to accept that as fact and you get more than just a letter denying the claim; they have to prove the validity of the exclusion, exception, and/or limitation as something that is clear, conspicuous, and applicable. They need to do this with their own time and educated financial experts who will sit down with an expert of your own choosing.

Untemplaters, did you know these 5 surprising things about insurance? How long have you been with your current insurance companies? How has your experience been filing claims?

Do you find yourself constantly frustrated that you don’t get your way or feel like you’re always being told what to do? Ever wonder how some people always seem to win new customers and grow their business? Don’t let jealousy and irritation consume your spirit and turn you into a complainer nobody wants to be around. Instead, learn how to influence people and you won’t fall behind anymore! Here are some helpful tips on how to be more persuasive and get what you want out of life, love, and your career.

The Benefits Of Being Persuasive

First of all, if you want to learn how to be more persuasive, it’s helpful to read and get excited about some of the main benefits. I hope this list gets you motivated to work on your personal development because we’re never too old to change and learn new skills! If you can achieve strong skills in persuasion you’ll get to enjoy these benefits:

• Get what you want more often
• People look up to you
• Win more clients
• Make more money
• Foster cooperation
• Build trust quickly
• Strengthen relationships
• Negotiating is natural and easy
• Consistently get your point across
• Convince others to take action
• Hear “yes” a lot more than “no”
• Turn rivals into partners
• Increase your sales
• Stay in control
• Rebound fast from rejection
• Analyze people quickly
• Get what you’re worth
• Career advancement
• Less failures, more success
• High self esteem
• Inspire others
• Lead and have power
• Are not easily discouraged
• Recruit top talent
• Go farther, faster

Become An Authentic Fan Of Yourself

Now that you know the benefits of being persuasive, the next step is to believe that you can obtain all of these qualities and more. I’m not talking about thinking, “maybe I can do that,” or “I guess I could try harder.” I’m talking about becoming so convinced deep down that you can achieve every one of those persuasive attributes that you will not quit until you consistently get what you want.

You may have heard or seen the phrase “Authentic Fan.” Those two words are all over Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants posters in the Bay Area. We love our teams and will jump up and cheer as loud as we can no matter what the score! I want you to think about the passion you have for your favorite sports team or inspirational person and take that same energy and become an authentic fan of yourself! You need confidence and must truly believe that you can improve and successfully learn how to be more persuasive.

Just Don’t Turn Into A Slimy Or Cocky SOB

Of course you don’t want to go too far and turn into a cocky prick who is so conceited you turn people away. There really IS a difference between being confident and cocky. I see both types of people all the time when I’m interviewing folks, and the arrogant candidates never get hired.

Customers can also sniff out slimy sales people and business partners from a mile away, so don’t try to be more persuasive by scamming people or stretching the truth. All it takes is one bad review to cast doubt in your current and prospective clients eyes.

As you adjust to being an authentic fan of yourself, work on regularly analyzing your progress. Figure out  which weaknesses lead you to fail, stay disciplined and open minded, learn from your mistakes, embrace competition, focus on the positives, make action plans for your goals, and keep visualizing your success.

Effective Emotions

Another tip for learning how to be more persuasive is getting more in tune with people’s emotions. The better you get at persuasion, the better you are at reading people. When you’re trying to pitch your product or service, you need to be able to adjust your approach on the spot from one presentation to the next based on your audience’s reactions or non reactions.

People are very receptive to stories, metaphors, testimonials, photos, and events that stir their emotions. It is effective in persuasion to get your way through targeting emotional reactions from your audience. Utilizing logical stats, charts, and data points is often necessary too, but emotions really work and motivate people to take action.

Some of you may recall “The Andrea Doria” Seinfeld episode when George tries to win back an apartment that the tenant association is planning to lease to an elderly survivor of an ocean liner collision.  We don’t think George stands a chance, but after telling a bunch of sob stories about his life as a short, fat, bald man, the tenant association is moved to tears and ready to rent it to George. He had no idea pulling on their heart strings would be so effective!

Of course those of you big Seinfeld fans know that unfortunately in the end both George and the elderly Andrea Doria survivor unexpectedly lose out on the apartment to Elaine’s “bad breaker-upper” date who bribed the committee for 50 bucks (lol but that’s beside my point ).

Value Leads To Victory

If you’re trying to persuade more people to sign up and become long term customers for your business, you need to highlight the value you’re offering them. As we learned from J.C. Penny’s public apology, people like the value and excitement of sales more than never having any sales at all and just low prices. People love getting good value for something.

This is why in marketing 101 you learn about the sales power of offering free bonuses with purchase, and highlighting $200 worth of products for only $99, etc. You need to persuade your target audience that whatever you’re offering them is worth more than what they’re paying for it.

Learn How To Be More Persuasive And You WILL Get What You Want

It takes perseverance and patience any time we have self improvement goals that push us to get out of our comfort zone. Remind yourself that a goal without a plan is just a wish, and that you can become a better leader through self-awareness.

Start off with a few small goals to increase your skills in persuasion and keep track of your progress. Experiment and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Being able to influence people in positive ways and get what you want out of life, love, and your career is a big part of the untemplate lifestyle and is really rewarding!

Untemplaters, how do you rate your skills in persuasion? What tricks and tips do you have for getting what you want? Have you ever surprised yourself by persuading someone to do something that you didn’t think would be possible?

Copyright 2013. Original content and photography authorized only to appear on Untemplater.com. Thank you for reading!

One of my 2013 goals is to travel abroad to a new country, or perhaps even two or three depending on my budget and itinerary. I enjoy exploring new places whenever I can, but the hardest part of traveling for me is deciding where to go! I’ve been to over 25 countries so far, yet there are so many more incredible places I still want to see. For my next trip I have my radar on Southeast Asia, Australia, or New Zealand. I’m starting my research with the top sights in Australia that I will share with you today.

I’m very methodical when I plan vacations and like to do a lot of research beforehand on activities, costs, weather, flight options, food, day trips, and ground transportation. Sometimes trying to figure out so much in advance gets me all wound up, but I like planning. Since I will probably only get to visit these places once, I like making sure that I’m going to maximize my time in each area as much as possible.

Swimming and diving in the Great Barrier Reef is one of the items on my bucket list so that is one reason why I’m interested in going down unda’. Of course I’d like to see the iconic Sydney Opera House, go on a Sydney Harbour cruise, and explore Melbourne, but there are so many more fantastic places to see which is what I’ve focused on below.

Australia Overview

Before I get to the top sights in Australia, here’s a quick overview of the land famous for kangaroos, koalas, and the outback. The Commonwealth of Australia includes the mainland, the southeast island of Tasmania, and roughly 8,221 other small islands. It is the sixth largest country in the world by land mass (almost 3 million square miles), has the fifth largest income per capita, and twelfth largest economy. The population is roughly 23 million, with the majority of people living in the eastern states along the coast.

Australia is made up of eight states (well two are technically “territories”) and the landscape varies a lot. The large center of Australia is hot, dry desert. Much of the land is dry and flat, but there are some mountain ranges along the southwest, east, and  southeast. And in contrast to the expansive and scorched outback, there are some rainforests in the northeast.

It’s a pretty diverse country with a 12% Asian population, and 43% of people have an immigrant parent. The most common countries where people immigrate from are the UK, New Zealand, China, India, Italy, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Top Sights In Australia And Adventures

If I’m going to Australia, chances are high I’d fly into Sydney or Melbourne. Since I’m a big adventure traveler, I didn’t focus my research on city sightseeing. What I’ve learned is that there is way more to see than can be covered in a 1-2 week visit. A lot of places are farther than a day trip away from Sydney and Melbourne so flying or taking a cruise seem like the best way to cover the most number of places. Australia is huge!

Here are some of the top sights and activities in Australia for travel adventure seekers:

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

An easy 31 miles west of Sydney are the Blue Mountains known for the famous Three Sisters sandstone rock formations. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers panoramic views, hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking. There are also more than 400 species of animals found here including the adorable platypus.

Best time to go: December to February

Byron Bay, New South Wales

A 9.5 hour drive north of Sydney, or 2 hours south of Brisbane, gets you to the gorgeous Byron Bay. Long stretches of white sand beaches are perfect for relaxing and unwinding. Surfing, whale watching, snorkeling, and scuba diving are quite popular here. It’s also becoming a happening spot for untemplate entrepreneurs, with an increasing number of writers, artists, filmmakers, and mobile lifestyle nomads loving the laid back atmosphere, warm and mild weather, and gorgeous beaches.

Best time to go: April through September

Wilsons Promontory, South Gippsland

This coastal national park is nicknamed The Prom and boats over 80 miles of hiking trails and campsites. It’s the farthest south you can get on the mainland. The water along the coast here is clear and a great place for snorkeling and scuba diving due to the abundance of marine life. Wildlife cruises are a relaxing way to go whale watching in the area. The Prom is a 2.5 hour drive southeast of Melbourne and 11 hours southwest of Sydney. Some of the wildlife you can spot are wild birds, wallabies, kangaroos, emus, and koalas.

Best time to go: September to April

Wine Tasting, Hunter Valley

A two hour drive form Sydney gets you to Hunter Valley, one of the best known wine regions in Australia. Some of the best shiraz and semillon are produced here. There are many nature reserves, parks, and botanical gardens to explore in the area as well. Day spas, horseback riding, and hot air balloon rides are some of the other activities to enjoy on a trip here.

Best time to go: September to May

Ballarat Wildlife Park, Victoria

About an hour and fifteen minutes west of Melbourne you’ll find this privately owned park offering closeup encounters with native Australian wildlife. Feed kangaroos, pet koalas, go on guided tours, and watch several different animal shows. They also have wombats, alligators, snakes, crocodiles, emus, echidnas, tasmanian devils and more. I would be thrilled to pet a koala and see wombats!

Best time to go: Spring, Autumn

Overland Track, Tasmania

On the island of Tasmania you’ll find Overland Track, one of Australia’s most famous must-do bush walks. It takes about 6 days to complete the entire trek from Cradle Valley to Lake St Clair, north to south. The weather can be unpredictable and extreme, and rain is fairly common. But there are huts along the way for hikers to keep dry and sleep in overnight. The views and wildlife are gorgeous and diverse, including alpine meadows, rainforests, waterfalls, eucalypts forests, valleys, swamps, and mountains.

Best time to go: November to April

Kangaroo Island

This island separated from the Australian mainland about 10,000 years ago and is the third largest island in Australia. There are a few small towns on the island with most people working in agriculture. Ligurian honey bees make Kangaroo Island well known for its delicious honey. Wineries have also been increasing here. Tourists can go on guided walks with koalas, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, and of course kangaroos. There are also beautiful rock formations, beaches, and caves to explore so staying a couple days is usually recommended.

Best time to go: Spring, Autumn

Wine Tasting, Yarra Valley & Barossa Valley

Yarra Valley is just an hour east of Melbourne and is known for delicious shiraz, riesling, and grenache. There are about 55 wineries here including Domain Chandon (which is also located in Napa Valley, California) and Chateau Yering. Barossa Valley is another popular place to go for wine tasting and has over 60 wineries. It is about an hour away from Adelaide in South Australia. You can stroll around the farmers markets and the German influenced town of Tanuda after tastings.

Best time to go: September to May

Scuba Dive, Live aboards

The Great Barrier Reef is ginormous, covering 132,973 square miles! With so much to see, the best way to explore underwater is from live aboard boats that are specifically tailored towards scuba diving. Typical trips range from 3-7 days at sea giving you plenty of time to explore. As I learned on my first scuba diving experience, it’s so worth it to book tours with dive masters who know the reefs inside and out.

Osprey Reef and The Ribbon Reefs are a couple popular live aboard destinations. Some of the marine life includes loggerhead turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, soft corals, marlin, bottlenose dolphins, hammerhead sharks, giant potato cod. Most live aboards depart from Cairns in the north, which is 30 hours by car from Sydney (!).

Best time to go: August through November

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Red Centre

Near the center of Australia, over 17.5 hours northwest of Adelaide is Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is best known for Ayers Rock, aka Uluru, and the Kata Tjuta rock domes. These red soil gives the Red Centre it’s name and the giant red rocks are a true treat to see out in the bush. The land is considered sacred by Aboriginies so certain areas are off limits and respecting the land and culture is important when visiting this park. The weather can be extremely hot in summer which leads to closures for the safety of visitors. Some companies offer 4WD, motorcycle, helicopter, or even camel tours. I would totally go for the camel tour, how cool is that?!

Best time to go: April to September

Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

All the way up north, about a 3 hour drive east of Darwin, Kakadu is a gem that most international tourists visiting Sydney and Melbourne don’t get to see. This is the largest national park in Australia and is known for its aboriginal rock art, fishing, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. It is so large that the terrain, flora, and fauna vary greatly depending on where you are on the ~43,000 square miles of wilderness. Roughly 1/5th of Australia’s mammals and 1/3rd of its birds are found here! Camping grounds and loding are available in the park so you can take your time exploring.

Best time to go: June to September

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

A little over an hour south of Brisbane, or 10 hours north of Sydney, gets you to Surfers Paradise, aka Surfers. This popular beach destination is very commercialized with lots of high rises and is known for its party scene. If you love night life, beaches, and especially surfing then this is right up your alley. Surfers Paradise hopping both day and night so if you’re looking for a quiet and relaxing getaway, skip this stop.

Best time to go: October through March

Untemplaters, have you been down unda’? Which places do you want to go see in this list of top sights in Australia?

Copyright 2013. Original content and photography authorized only to appear on Untemplater.com. Thank you for reading!

We’re over four months into the year already, and I bet all of those New Year’s resolutions you made feel like decades ago. This time of year in the second quarter is often when we’re at our weakest, our softest spot on the year long cycle of motivation. The buzz of the fresh start in a calendar year has worn off, we can’t stop thinking about summer vacations, and the end of the year promotion and performance review process feels long enough away for us to slack off. And that’s exactly what your competitors are hoping you’ll continue thinking for the next six months! But don’t go soft! Remember a goal without a plan is just a wish.

Turn I Wish Into I WILL

It’s disputed who actually came up with the quote, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Many attribute it to the French poet and writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry, but it’s unclear if those are his original words or not. In any case, it’s a simple and totally genius quote with so much truth to it!

Anyone can write a list of 100 goals, but they won’t become anything more than a bunch of words without an action plan. So off by start changing your mindset. Instead of saying, “I wish I had more money,” declare “I will spend $100 less each week!” Or if you have a goal to start your own business, shout to the rooftops “I will get my business license today!”

WWWWWH

Did I get your attention with my “WWWWWH” subtitle? No, that wasn’t a typo, it’s the funny looking acronym for who, what, where, when, why, how. These are the key building blocks of creating action plans that will help you successfully reach all of your goals. Ask yourself all of these questions when you want to accomplish something no matter how large or small a goal it is.

Who: Who needs to be involved for your plan to work? Can you do everything on your own, or will you reach your target faster if you get help from a colleague, mentor, spouse, friend? Will you need to contact and work with a vendor, client, or company at all?

What: This should be the easiest of all the WWWWWH questions to answer, as this is your goal itself. What are you trying to accomplish? Be as specific as possible. Break larger projects into small parts. That makes it easier to make progress and not feel so overwhelmed.

Where: Figure out all of the places you need to go to complete every task for your goal. Can you do everything online or will some steps have to be done on location? Will you be more productive working in a quiet place or do you need to reserve large venue that can accommodate many people?

When: When do you want to finish? Are there any strict deadlines you need to meet? Do you need to set aside a block of time each day to work on your goal?

Why: Ask yourself why you want to complete your goal. Why would it make your life better? Why would someone else benefit? Why should you prioritize this goal over another?

How: This is one of the toughest of the WWWWWH questions to answer. Coming up with goals usually isn’t too hard if you just sit down and do it. Figuring out how you’re going to do all of the steps takes a lot more brain power, creativity, and resources. How will you get all of those resources? How will you discipline yourself each day? How will you avoid distractions? How will you stay motivated?

Time Management Tips

There are so many things I want to accomplish each day, and so many sneaky distractions and interruptions that get in the way! We all experience this. The more people we know, live, and work with, the harder it can be to manage our time effectively. We’re constantly getting pulled in multiple directions and time seems to get sucked away into a giant vacuum.

So we have to work hard at using our time wisely, and being selfish with it. I don’t hang out with my friends that often because I want and need to use the evenings and weekends to work on my side businesses and personal projects. I miss out on a lot of fun social events, but it’s the sacrifice I have to make with my current schedule.

Here are some simple and easy time management tips to help you reach more goals and get more done each day:

• Gulp, gulp, gulp. Drink more water: Although this means more trips to the restroom, so many of us are not drinking enough water. Our bodies need to be fully hydrated to function properly. I’ve been trying hard to drink more water and my body is loving it. My health issues and little aches and pains have decreased and that really helps me concentrate better and get more done.
• Get your neurochemical juices flowing: Even if you gasp and throw hexes at the word chemicals, there are many natural chemicals that our bodies need to function at their best. Dopamine, seratonin, endorphins, and even epinephrine levels are impacted and put back in balance when we exercise regularly. All of these neurochemicals impact our ability to think clearly, fight fatigue, feel refreshed, combat stress, and feel good mentally and physically. So don’t forget to exercise!
• Rise up: It’s easier said than done for a lot of us, but just get up earlier each day. There are much fewer distractions in the early morning hours when other people are still sleeping or busy getting ready for their commutes. I’m not a natural early riser, but I have found that my productivity in the morning is higher than late at night. So I have to fight my habit of staying up late so I can get enough sleep to wake up earlier.
• Pull the plugs: Sometimes it can be really hard to break away from the TV, but you just have to do it! There’s really a limited amount of things you can effectively multitask with the TV on. So turn off the TV, stop watching YouTube, log out of Facebook, power down your smart phone, and just focus on you.
• Schedule appointments with yourself: It really helps to schedule specific time slots in your day just for yourself. From 6:30-7:00 I will do a yoga dvd workout, from 12:00-12:30 I will get all my invoices out and do some bookkeeping, from 8:00-9:00 I will work on creating a profitable online store side business, etc.
• Get organized: The more organized you are, the easier is it to get things done. Don’t waste precious minutes hunting for your things like your keys, invoices, and tax docs each day. Thriving in the corporate world or as a bootstrapping entrepreneur requires strong organizational skills. Declutter your desk, closets, car, computer, and your brain. Simplify your life with minimalism. And improve your productivity with a digital makeover.
• Time yourself: Take a day or two and time everything you do. Figure out how long it takes you to do repetitive tasks and other challenges. Then compare that to all the time you wasted daydreaming, watching TV, texting, flipping through FB, etc. Find the areas you can trim down, and figure out what tasks are already efficient. Then make sure to give yourself enough time for each task when you schedule appointments with yourself.

A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish 

Untemplaters, how often do you find yourself saying “I wish” instead of “I will” _xyz_? How do you rate your time management skills now vs 3, 5, 10 years ago? When was the last time you created an action plan for a goal you wanted to accomplish?

Copyright 2013. Original content and photography authorized only to appear on Untemplater.com. Thank you for reading!

The older I get, the more and more crazy people I seem to come across. I’m telling you there’re everywhere! Every day I pass by at least ten to fifteen crazy bums on my commute. They tend to congregate on public benches and along empty lots, or just wander around aimlessly on foot. But there are plenty of non-homeless crazy people too. And I happen to work with several of them! I’m sure you do too. So just why are there so many crazy people at work and in the world, and what can we do about it?

Nature vs Nurture

If you walk into the nursery at any hospital you’d never imagine that one of those babies could grow up to become a social pariah, terrible coworker, or homeless person. But it happens all the time. Babies come into the world innocent and sweet, yet all sorts of things can go wrong that turn them into bullies, weirdos, manic depressives, and bad communicators.

Whatever the true ratio of influence there is between nature vs nurture on our personalities and behaviors, scientists and psychologists will be arguing both sides of this debate for decades more to come. Sure there are studies that show separated twins have remarkable similarities in personality and interests, but there’s no 100% clear cut explanation as to why. And it’s impossible to measure if their upbringings and environments were too variant or similar to justify the accuracy of those studies.

Personally I think there is always going to be a bit of both, with more influence coming from nurture. Sure we inherit genes that determine our health and physical appearance, which certainly have an affect on our personality and disposition, and a lot of mental illnesses run in families. But I think the manner in which our parents or guardians teach, support, and discipline us have a much bigger impact on our mental wellbeing, attitude towards life, social skills, and willingness to learn and develop. Plus the environments in which we grow up also have psychological weight on our emotions and perspectives.

What Causes People To Go Crazy?

Although we have no control over our genes or who our families are, there are ways that we work towards reducing the amount of bullying, negativity, social disruption, and craziness out there. The first step is identifying the primary causes that lead to many of these problems in the first place. Here are just a few:

• Abuse
• Neglect
• Brainwashing
• Isolation
• Ignorance
• Extremism
• Prejudice
• Discrimination
• Jealousy
• Depression
• Low self esteem
• Anger
• Grief
• Peer pressure
• No self control
• Loneliness
• Greed
• Fear
• Teasing
• Trauma
• Drug addiction
• Mental illness

How Do We Stop Craziness From Spreading?

Even as incredible and advanced as technology has become, it doesn’t have the ability to magically help us all get along better or improve our behaviors. A lot of people, myself included, believe that all this technology actually makes us worse at communicating because we’re so attached to devices that we don’t know how to interact or socialize with other people anymore. We’re losing the abilities of patience and focus.

Feeling ignored or unimportant when someone is texting or emailing right in front of you may seem harmless, but it can do a lot of damage over time. Relationships need focused communication without constant distractions. I do my best to be present when I’m spending time with someone by putting down my phone and being a better listener. And even though it’s not always easy, I’m constantly trying to improve communication at work and in my personal life. The way we interact with one another has a major impact on our emotions and motivations, so I really aim to be supportive and kind every day and encourage you to do the same.

If you’re a parent, teacher, or coach I’m sure you spend a lot of time and energy teaching your kids manners and how to communicate and interact with others. Please keep up the hard work because your efforts do make a difference! The younger we can learn communication and behavioral skills, the better off we will be in life and at work down the road. I sure wish my parents spent more time ingraining those types of skills in me when I was a kid because it took a long time for me to come out of my shell and get comfortable in social situations. I wouldn’t classify myself as crazy because of that, but I was definitely seen and treated as an outsider and awkward person because of that for many years.

How To Handle Crazy People At Work

Fortunately most of the people I’ve had to work closely with over the years have been supportive, hard working individuals that are easy to talk to. But I’ve had to deal with plenty of crazy coworkers and clients in my career with super short fuses, horrible communication skills, and awkward habits. It’s really freaky how some people can completely change personalities from super manic to extremely apologetic within the same conversation. And it’s intimidating having someone start yelling over the phone over the smallest thing and hang up on you. And then other people are hypocritical or super quirky that it feels like pulling teeth trying to talk to them.

Believe it or not I’ve had to deal with all of these crazy situations. And the best way I’ve learned to deal with people like this is patience. Additionally, empathy, kindness, and documenting their actions have also been really helpful. If you think they’re crazy, chances are a lot of other people do too. And often times just having the right documentation is all that’s needed to give those crazy coworkers and clients the boot.

But do keep in mind that sometimes craziness is just temporary and caused from a lot of stress or emotional personal issues. We all have had days when we just weren’t ourselves, and just needed time to get back to normal. So showing support and asking if they need help up front can go a long way.

Spread Happiness And Support

No matter how technologically advanced our world becomes, we will never be able to eliminate the need for personal interaction, kindness, and support. It actually makes it more important that we continue improving our own methods of communication and teaching our youth these valuable skills.

Even the littlest random acts of kindness can turn someone’s entire day around and prevent them from going postal or doing something crazy. So next time before you get angry or snippy with someone, try being more patient and nice instead. The more happiness and support we can spread, the less craziness there will be at work and in the world!

Untemplaters, are there are a lot of crazy people where you work and live? What are some of the worst things you’ve had to deal with from a crazy coworker, client, or random person before? What are your thoughts on why are there so many crazy people at work and in the world?