You’re more likely to spend money on expensive, high-status items after being reminded of a time in your life when someone had power over you. At least, that’s what a recent study suggests.

In three experiments, the authors asked participants to either describe a situation where they had power over another person or one in which someone had power over them. Then the researchers showed them items and asked how much they would be willing to pay.

After recalling situations where they were powerless, participants were willing to pay more for items that signal status, like silk ties and fur coats, but not products like minivans and dryers. They also agreed to pay more for a framed picture of their university if it was portrayed as rare and exclusive.

One lesson to gleam from these experiments is that our feelings are very much context dependent. The researchers were able to elicit a state of social insecurity in their subjects only through asking a few carefully designed questions.

How can this be of use to you in a day to day setting? You want to be mindful of the states people elicit in you through the things they say. Their words can and will change your behavior, and these changes are often so subtle that you won’t consciously pick up on them.

Simply being reminded about the past can alter the way you behave in the present.  You don’t want to focus on memories that make you feel weak, since that can be a very costly proposition for you. The moment a negative memory is brought to your conscious attention, you’ll want to do whatever you can to neutralize whatever negative influence it might have over you.

You can do this by reframing the memory in a positive light, by quickly changing your focus to something positive, or by clearing your mind and getting grounded in the moment, choosing to invest your awareness in your immediate surroundings. Breathing exercises can help do that.

There are many ways to escape the grips of a dangerous memory. Your mind is a powerful tool, and it’s  irresponsible to let it get the best of you.

Now that you know that thinking about being weak makes you more likely to spend money on silly status symbols, you’ll be able to stop yourself from making stupid purchases. For example, I know a man who once bought a ten thousand dollar television set after getting dumped by his girlfriend. His actions are an example of the stupid things we do when we feel our status take a hit.

Self-awareness can stop us from making decisions that are against our best interests. The memories we choose to focus on end up shaping the way we view ourselves, and thus the way we interact and engage our environment.

People who suffer from depression often focus on their weaknesses while ignoring their strengths. This is a mistake. You want to focus on both of them. This is a positive, healthy middle ground that few people ever reach. Most people, after all, ignore their weaknesses while overestimating their strengths.

I’m here to argue for the middle path — the path where you have a realistic understanding of what you’re capable of, where your understanding of the world is well grounded, and your self-image is neither dismal nor angelic.

Don’t let your memories trip you up while walking down the middle road.