4 reasons why we like lists

write lists, write lists, that’s what every blogger is told.

what is it that we find so fascinating about lists? i tried to find some research on that but can’t come up with anything so far. hm. let’s ask some academics who might know: john suler, famous for his psychology of cyberspace studies; chris from mixing memory, a cognitive psychology blog; and web strategist jeremiah.

in the meantime, here is … uh … a list of what i think attracts people to these bulleted and numbered items:

  1. lists impose a feeling of order on the jumble of demands, feelings, thoughts, information and other input that we’re faced with every day.
  2. lists are easy on the eyes; we can quickly skim them.
  3. lists are less threatening than long paragraphs. they’re less likely to contain complicated ideas and turns of phrases.
  4. numbered lists, especially when they’re a response to a problem, can give us a feeling of relief. only 5 things i need to do to get my energy back? sign me up!

what do you think? do you like lists? no? why or why not?

oh, and the reason why i’m writing about lists today is because i just took part in a little list writing project. well, maybe not so little. there were 67 of us, each offering a “list” post. i’ll, errr, list them all in a minute. by december 3, i’m supposed to tell which ones i like best.

why don’t you look them over and tell me which one i should vote for?

a tester’s dream – 5 steps to revive a rejected bug! by debasis pradhan

escape the rut by catherine kunst

form a running habit with seven easy steps by shane magee

how to prepare for christmas by ajay

list of classes by priscilla palmer

list of why blogs are a female gender by domtan

lovecraft & cthulhu christmas list by cullen bunn

my five wish-list classes i would enroll in by al

six savvy reasons why you should travel light by sheila beal

six simple steps to remembering and living the abundant life you are meant to live by anita pathik law

ten things i didn’t know until last week by blaiq

the quitter’s checklist by em dy

the top ten internet business ideas by john

thirteen reasons why wordpress is superior to blogger by jhs

to do to make tomorrow better by bob

twelve days of classic country christmas by scott

my top-10 personal development blogs by marco

100list – 100 things i can do to make more money. by dj wright

3 things i wish i knew then what i know now by stephen hopson

3 ways to bring back the joy to the holidays by karen lynch

what you think is what you see: 4 ways to stop negativity by holli jo

5 crash course tips in viral marketing by john murch

5 reasons (not) to drink coffee by lodewijkvdb

5 reasons why i bought a domain by wishbone

5 surefire ways to increase comments on your blog by vijay

5 things that i believe to be lies by krizza

5 ways to become the perfect idiot by lori

5 ways to crack or reset a forgotten windows xp administrator password by aseem kishore

5 ways to win a blog contest by erz

6 steps to take writing ideas from wordpress themes by karen zara

7 powerful tips to overcome failure by donald latumahina

7 seven tips for students to success by xoel cardigan

7 tricks you need to fight procrastination by samir bharadwaj

get out of debt quick: 7 tips by tejvan

top 7 paid review writing mistakes you can avoid by prince john

8 habits of highly successful salespeople by daniel sitter

9 ways to achieve success in life by adebola oni

10 life lessons learned while camping by ad tracker

10 productive ways for moms to “relax” by neena

10 things to consider before acting as your own contractor by shawn van dyke

10 tips on how to watch a horror movie when you are a scaredy cat by migraine chick

10 ways to improve your personality by z hereford

10 ways to survive the writers’ strike by cynthia boris

10 ways to work through your workout by gal josefsberg

your top 10 inspirational quotes by sparky

12 wordpress editors you can choose by karthik

13 encouraging questions by isabella mori

15 tips to prevent repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome by css

17 power tips for stumbleupon beginners by dr. mani

18 tips to become a productive blogger by monika mundell

5 blogging ups, 5 blogging downs, and 10 blogging tips by albert foong

21 punching tips on social media marketing and social media optimization by etienne teo

top 23 motivation tips, tricks and tactics from the blogosphere by mike ambrose

26 ways to change the world by chris

35 guaranteed ways to increase your rss subscribers by fred

no cost business tools: 37 free applications that make your life easier, free of charge by levi

40 ways to make your mind your playground by fier

50 ways to start a conversation by dee

100 motivators for informal learning by marcel ackermann

100 resources to improve your career, relationships and money by lawrence cheok

100 sites i seek inspiration from by iain hamp

100 things to do before i die by joseph gibbs

100 ways to personally conquer chaos at work by judy martin

100 ways to promote a startup by jason drohn

best 101 lists by pearl

150 funniest resume mistakes, bloopers and blunders ever by jacob share

100 things to write a list of 100 about by kotsengkuba

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