Richard Wiseman author photo
Image via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Richard Wiseman

Richard Wiseman is a British psychologist, bestselling author, and former professional magician known for research on the psychology of luck, illusion, self-help, deception, and paranormal belief. His popular books, including The Luck Factor, Quirkology, and 59 Seconds, have sold over 3 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.

Biography & Author's Journey

Richard Wiseman was born in 1966 and began his journey as a professional magician, becoming one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle before turning to academia. He earned his degree in psychology from University College London with first class honors, followed by a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. These formative experiences shaped his distinctive approach to psychological research, blending rigorous inquiry with a flair for performance and public engagement.

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Quotes

quote
Happiness doesn't just flow from success; it actually causes it
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
quote
Buy Experiences Not Goods. Want to buy happiness? Then spend your hard-earned cash on experiences. Go out for a meal. Go to a concert, cinema or theatre. Go on holiday. Go and learn how to pole dance. Go paintballing. Go bungee jumping. In fact, get involved in anything that provides an opportunity to do things with others, and then tell even more people about it afterwards. When it comes to happiness, remember that it is experiences that represent really good value for money
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
quote
Materialism takes root in early childhood, and is driven mainly by low self-esteem
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
quote
When you gossip about another person, listeners unconsciously associate you with the characteristics you are describing, ultimately leading to those characteristics’ being transferred to you. So, say positive and pleasant things about friends and colleagues, and you are seen as a nice person. In contrast, constantly complain about their failings, and people will unconsciously apply the negative traits and incompetence to you
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
quote
Spend just a few nights sleeping for seven hours or less and your brain goes into slow motion
-Night School: Wake up to the power of sleep
quote
Our beliefs do not sit passively in our brains waiting to be confirmed or contradicted by incoming information. Instead, they play a key role in shaping how we see the world
-Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There
quote
The message is clear – those who do not feel in control of their lives are less successful, and less psychologically and physically healthy, than those who do feel in control
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot
quote
Lucky people create, notice and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives
-The Luck Factor
quote
Your date of birth might not define you, but it certainly influences the way you think and behave
-Quirkology
quote
The results from both studies clearly indicated that in terms of short- and long-term happiness, buying experiences made people feel better than buying goods
-59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

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Community Voices

"Richard Wiseman has gained an international reputation for his research into the psychology of luck, deception, persuasion and magic"

The Guardian

"Elizabeth Loftus described Richard Wiseman as 'one of the world’s most creative psychologists."

Association for Psychological Science

"Richard Wiseman holds Britain's only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire"

University of Hertfordshire

"Professor Richard Wiseman has written several popular psychology books that have been published around the world and created psychology-based YouTube videos that have attracted over 800 million views"

Independent On Sunday

"Richard Wiseman is one of the most followed psychologists on social media"

Independent On Sunday

"Richard Wiseman has been well-known for his sceptical stance on the paranormal and his advocacy for science and reason"

Humanists UK

"Richard Wiseman has published over 100 academic papers examining the psychology of magic, illusion, luck and self-development"

Nature

"A recent poll revealed that Richard Wiseman was the psychologist most frequently quoted in the British media"

The Times

"Richard Wiseman's books have sold over 3 million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages"

The Daily Telegraph

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