Mathivation Research Lab Where Mathematics meets Human Experience

Behavioural Economics Research Series Mid-Series Reflection: When Anxiety Stops Feeling Abnormal A pause to reflect before we move forward So far, this series has not tried to teach new formulas or propose quick solutions. Instead, it has attempted something quieter - and perhaps more difficult: to observe how real human behaviour slowly reshapes itself under pressure. Before moving further, it is important to pause. Not to conclude - but to notice what has already been revealed. Where We Began In Part 1 , we examined how status and comparison quietly enter everyday life, shaping self-worth through relative position rather than intrinsic value. In Part 2 , we moved deeper - seeing how social comparison evolves into anxiety , not as a personal weakness, but as a predictable behavioural outcome. In Part 3 , we explored how repeated anxiety becomes habit , and how individuals begin to compress their identity - not asking “ Who am I? ” but “ What is safe for me to be? ” In Part 4 , the...