coz-en

verb :: Cheat; hoodwink; swindle.

"He has wronged me and deceived me enough, he shall not cozen me further; let him go his own way, for Jove has robbed him of his reason." -- The Iliad by Homer

As we age, our thinking slows down. This reduces our ability to processes large amounts of information and transfer it into long-term memory. This is one reason why it becomes more difficult to remember things as we get older.

One way to improve your memory is to focus your attention on one thing at a time. This reduces the amount of information that needs to be processed by your brain which allows it to process it more effectively. Focusing your attention on something doesn't have to be difficult. Turning off the television in the background and minimizing interruptions are easy steps. If you are having a conversation with someone, look at them when they talk and try to repeat what they said if it was important. Try to finish one task before you begin another one.

A person with a type A personality is someone who is very driven and competitive. They are generally more assertive, impatient and always in a hurry. Type A people push themselves to the limits by multitasking and setting difficult goals and deadlines.

This term was originally coined by Dr. Meyer Friedman and Dr. Ray H. Rosenman to describe behaviors that can significantly increase the risk of heart disease and other stress related illnesses.

If you answer yes to a majority of the following questions, then you may be a type A person.

1. Do you get bothered waiting in line at a store or restaurant?
2. Do you think about other things when talking to other people?
3. Do you have a hard time falling asleep?
4. Do you get bothered by the way other people drive?
5. Do people ever tell you to calm down, chill out, or take it easy?
6. Do you grind your teeth?
7. Do you often ask people to get to the point or give you a summary of what they are talking about?
8. Do you enjoy change?

If you want to become more relaxed, you might start by practicing proper breathing. Meditation may also be helpful.

"Groupthink" is a term used to describe a process whereby a group can make bad decisions even though each individual in the group may realize that the result is going to be bad.

People have a strong need to feel accepted in a group. Whenever an individual participates in a group, it causes the other participants to react in some way. People want to be liked, so they tend to participate in a way that gains them acceptance. One way to gain acceptance is to be very agreeable and not rock the boat. When a bad or bland idea is introduced, very few people may challenge it. If nobody proposes a better idea, groupthink can result.

Proposing a creative idea that differs from the group exposes the person and puts them in a vulnerable position. Nobody wants to fail in front of their peers or superiors. As a result, wild ideas are frequently self-censored or toned down to a level that is easily assimilated by the group. Unless there is a process that encourages wild ideas, they will seldom be introduced and groupthink can result.

Groupthink can also occur if an idea comes from higher up in the corporate ladder. Nobody wants to disagree with their boss, even if they know that the boss's idea will fail.

Brainstorming is a process that encourages wild ideas. This is one way to avoid groupthink.