Michelangelo phenomenon Michelangelo phenomenon The Michelangelo phenomenon is a phenomenon observed by psychologists in which interdependent individuals influence and "sculpt" each other (opposite of Blueberry phenomenon, in which interdependent individuals bring out the worst qualities in each other). Over time, the Michelangelo effect causes individuals to develop toward what they themselves consider as their "ideal selves". For example, in a close relationship, "because John affirms Mary's ideals, Mary increasingly comes to resemble her ideal self". The phenomenon was named after the Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer Michelangelo (1475–1564) who is said to have thought of sculpting as a process
What Was Lost for which O'Flynn received a prize of £2,500. It was BBC Radio 5 Live's Book of the Month in March 2007. What Was Lost What Was Lost is the 2007 début novel by Catherine O'Flynn. The novel is about a girl who goes missing in a shopping centre in 1984, and the people who try to discover what happened to her twenty years later. "What Was Lost" won the First Novel Award at the 2007 Costa Book Awards, and was short-listed for the overall Costa Book of the Year Award. O'Flynn found inspiration for "What Was Lost" while she was