Anger Management Pens

There is one thing I do all the time, while I go through a problem-solving task of any kind - I chew on pens. Does not matter if the problem is a test question, or a two-year release plan - I still do it. If it is not pen it is pencil. It seems that chewing on pens, helps me think in a more creative way.

Sometimes this leads to pen loss for other people, when their pens find themselves in the wrong place (near me) at the wrong time (while I am pacing back and forth - deep in thinking). When that happens I usually try to reimburse the person, so I keep several new pens in my notebook case just for that purpose.

Not so long ago it happened at a client side during a particularly nagging deployment issue. While I was reimbursing the people involved, funny conversation took place. We were discussing all the different (GOOD) things chewing pens could lead to, when someone in the office got an idea - Why won't we use it for Anger management?
- Anger management?
- Sure. Anger management. If it were good for creativity boost why wouldn't it help one to calm down?

We went through a funny business case for selling all sorts of chewing pens, and closed the matter. But then it struck me - this could be a serious idea. People can use any object to reinforce their beliefs, or motivate them in any desired way. This could work as a placebo effect. After all when our subconscious mind is absolutely convinced about something, it tends to work the hardest, to bring that something into the real world. So for example if one convinces him/herself that chewing on this pen will make one more creative, - it will happen. That person will become more creative, after chewing on the pen. The pen provided a support point for the subconscious mind to believe that after utilizing the pen, the person IS more creative.

Now the question is, why would anyone want to buy a "magic' object, instead of just grabbing whatever is available and declaring that it has "special powers"?

In my opinion the answer is in one word: VALUE. Placebo effect cannot take place if the patient knows that the pill is not real. More precisely Placebo effect can still happen, but the person has to work much harder to believe (against the knowledge) that the pill is real.

Same example works for any object. If you just pick a pen from the office, it has no VALUE to you. It is hard to convince yourself that doing something with this pen will achieve your goals. However if someone else sells you the same pen, preferably with a ridiculously high price tag attached, your mind automatically values the pen more. Thus it is easier to convince your brain that this pen has “special powers”.