I'd like you to take a moment and consider what you are wearing right now.

I have a deep,philosophical question for you.

Why are we not all wearing comfortable pajamas right now?

(Laughter) Well,I'm a psychologist and not a mind reader, although many people think that's the same thing.

I can bet you that your response is somewhere along the lines of, "I'm expected to not wear pj's in public" or "I don't want people to think I am a slob."Either way,the fact that we all chose to wear business casual clothing, as opposed to our favorite pair of sweatpants,is not a silly coincidence.

Instead,it reveals two defining human characteristics.

The first is that we are cognizant of what other people value, like what they will approve or disapprove of,such as not wearing pj's to these sorts of settings.

And two,we've readily used this information to guide our behavior.

Unlike many other species, humans are prone to tailor their behavior in the presence of others to garner approval.

We spend valuable time putting on make up,choosing the right picture and Instagram filter, and composing ideas that will undoubtedly change the world in 140 characters or less.