Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

How To Escape the Comparison Trap | Creator of 'FOMO', Patrick McGinnis

5 snips

May 29, 2024

Writer and entrepreneur Patrick McGinnis, creator of 'FOMO', discusses how to navigate the comparison trap and harness FOMO for positive transformations. He explores the psychology behind fear of missing out and provides strategies for managing triggers and decision-making. A unique perspective on using 'negative' ideas as tools for better living.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Evolution of FOMO: From Concept to Concern

02:45 • 8min

Exploring Sleep Optimization, Hypnosis Benefits, and FOMO Awareness

11:00 • 5min

Navigating FOMO and Its Impact on Decision-Making

16:15 • 16min

Exploring the Importance of Recovery and Men's Health Treatments

31:57 • 5min

Embracing FOMO with Curiosity and Awareness

36:58 • 12min

Navigating the Complexity of Decision-Making and Psychological Factors

48:46 • 4min

Navigating Decisions in a World of Choices

52:35 • 14min

Community Engagement and Sponsor Appreciation

01:06:36 • 2min

We all know about FOMO, or the Fear Of Missing Out. We’re scrolling through our social media feeds, and there it is: post after post of a friend who’s somewhere exotic, having a great time, or at an exciting new job… and we’re not. We can’t help but compare our lives with people who seem to be doing so much more.

The result can be an uptick in anxiousness, distress, grinding to “keep up” and sometimes FOMO can even stop us from taking action…that feeling of being overwhelmed.

FOMO – the acronym and the idea – really struck a nerve in the social media age. Not only is it now in the Merriam Webster dictionary, but it’s spawned a whole slew of related acronyms: FOBO (Fear of Better Options), JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) and even inspired me to coin the term FOPO, the Fear Of People’s Opinions.

Today on the podcast is writer and entrepreneur Patrick McGinnis, who invented the term FOMO back in the early 2000s. He did it flippantly, but then the idea took off, and he’s been owning it and studying it ever since.

Patrick has come up with a way of looking at our fear of missing out, how to train ourselves to work with it, and even use it – in positive ways – to really go after the things we want and elevate our lives.

It’s a fascinating story, a unique perspective on modern culture, and a great way of using this “negative” idea and turning it into a tool for better living.

In the spirit of FOMO... you DO NOT want to miss this one :)

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