Dr. Nate Zinsser on Restraining Ego and Building Confidence

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Jan 29, 2022

Dr. Nate Zinsser, the Director of West Point's Performance Psychology Program, discusses his book on cultivating unshakable confidence. He emphasizes the distinction between true confidence and ego, particularly under pressure. Zinsser advocates for building confidence through tangible experiences and a mental bank of positive memories. He also explores the importance of resilience in sports and life, and the need for moral courage in leadership. Insightful anecdotes illustrate how mindset shapes performance and highlights a growth approach to success.

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INSIGHT

Confidence vs. Self-Belief

Confidence isn't blind faith; it's based on evidence of what you can do.
Gather this evidence by intentionally reflecting on past successes and filtering your self-talk.

ADVICE

Cultivating Confidence

Cultivate confidence by looking for evidence of your abilities, even if you haven't achieved the exact goal yet.
Embrace a little self-delusion, believing in your potential even without complete proof.

ANECDOTE

The First Victory

Ryan Holiday reads a quote from a 1944 U.S. Army handbook about overcoming fear in battle.
The quote emphasizes that the first fight is with yourself, and winning that prepares you for the real enemy.

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On today’s episode of the podcast Ryan talks to performance psychologist Dr. Nate Zinsser about his new book The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance, the difference between confidence and evidence, how to think about the moments in your life selectively to cultivate confidence, looking for the positive aspects of your life while maintaining objective awareness, and more.

Dr. Nate Zinsser is the director of West Point’s Performance Psychology Program. He has been the lead performance psychologist at West Point since 1992. Dr. Zinsser is the author of Dear Dr Psych, the first sport psychology guidebook for youth sport participants, six textbook chapters on building confidence, and an advice column to Sports Illustrated for Kids which ran for 5 years. Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Zinsser lives in Fishkill, NY with his wife of 35 years.

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