The Science of Success

In this episode we discuss why the “happiness” movement has done us a disservice and sometimes makes things worse, how perfectionism creates an illusion of control and distorts your reality, how to become aware of the critical inner voice at the root of your pain and unhealthy habits, the incredible power of self compassion, and much more with Megan Bruneau.    Megan Bruneau is a psychotherapist, wellness coach, writer, podcast host and creator of oneshrinksperspective.com After years of perfectionism-fueled depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, she discovered how to like herself, take risks, and find success without beating herself up to get there. Why Megan advocates a holistic approach to mental healthWhy the “happiness” movement has done us a disservice and sometimes makes things worseHow to become aware of the critical inner voice at the roof of your pain and unhealthy habitsWhat your “secondary emotions" are and why its so important to pay close attention to themHow you internalize self judgement from your childhood experiencesYou can have expectations about mood not just performance and that can create sufferingThe importance of giving yourself permission to feel feelings even when they are uncomfortableWhat your physiological symptoms look like when you experience a fight or flight responseHow to build tolerance and grow your “emotional muscle”The tools you can use (with a concrete example) to stop a downward spiral of anxietyThings you might do that actually make a negative emotional response worseThe importance of making space for difficult feelings ( through mindfulness )How to have deep self compassion and treat yourself with kindnessWhat exactly to say to yourself when you’re dealing with difficult emotionsWhy you should treat yourself like a dear friend who is sufferingHow the “self esteem” movement screwed you up and created many of your emotional challengesWhat happens when your self worth is dependent on being better than other peopleHow Megan defines perfectionism (and why you might be a perfectionist without even realizing it)The critical importance of self compassion and how you can practice itThe importance of understanding the concept of "common humanity"We define mindfulness and its core components, and discuss how to practice itWhy painful feelings don't make you broken, but are a natural part of the human experienceThe huge downsides of having your self worth tied to your achievementsWhy your fear of difficult and uncomfortable emotions is the roof of your sufferingThe exact internal dialogue you should use if you constantly put too much pressure on yourselfThe massive danger of “globalizing” negative experiencesWhy giving up high expectations actually enhances your performanceWhy you should change for your focus from being productive to focusing on what’s meaningfulHow you can “become friends” with difficult emotions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss lessons from 25 years of studying the evolution of human emotion, examine whether the Machiavellian concept of power still works, explore the surprising scientific data on how you can acquire power, and look closely at the foundation of enduring power from studies of military units on how to achieve and maintain power with Dr. Dacher Keltner.     Dr. Dacher Keltner is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. He is also the author of The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good, and a co-editor of The Compassionate Instinct.Lessons from 25 years of studying the evolution of human emotionWhat the hard science says about the powerful impact of gratitudeWhy you’re interpretation of “survival of the fittest” is totally wrongWhy emotion is not something to “remove” or rid ourselves ofHow emotions guide social behaviors in many very important waysDoes the Machveiallian conception of power still work?Studies in military organizations, schools, show about how to effectively wield powerThe surprising scientific data on how you can acquire and maintain power We discuss in depth if power is given or if power is seized What are the foundations of enduring power?Importance of empathy and building strong social ties rather than serving your narrow self interestThe power paradox and why the more powerful you get, the harder it is to stay powerfulThe importance of focusing on other peopleHow do we create organizations and societies that prevent the abuses of power?We review and share resources for practical steps to implement all of these lessonsThe massive impact and power of touch to communicate emotionsThe shocking science of how half a second of touch can communicate almost every major emotionThe hilarious gender differences in Dr. Keltner’s emotional touch researchHow to cultivate gratitude and aweThe simple power of just saying thank youThe new collaborative definition of power and how its radically different from what you may think of when you think of power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss one of the most interesting results ever found in the psychological research of education, why pleasure maximization is a flawed model for human understanding, we go deep into a number of research examples, discuss the massive (and counterintuitive) difference between motivating top performers and bottom performers, and much more with Dr. Dan Ariely!     Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at  Duke University and is the founder of The Center for Advanced Hindsight and also the co-founder of BEworks. Dan's talks on TED have been watched over 7.8 million times. He is the author of Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality, both of which became New York Times best sellers, and he has a newly released book Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations.  How being badly burned and spending 3 years in the hospital radically changed Dr. Dan Ariely's lifeHow good intentions can go terribly wrong in changing behaviorThe two flawed models of motivation and why neither worksI get interviewed by Dr Dan Ariely - he turns the mic on me and starts grilling me!The difference between momentary joy and lasting purposeThe critical importance of creating, meaning, improvement, and having an impactHow money can demotivate and skew your motivationWe get into the weeds on some fascinating experiments Dr. Dan Ariely has conducted about how money (doesn’t) motivate usWhy bonuses don’t actually workThe massive (and counterintuitive) difference between motivating top performers and bottom performersWhy it’s much better to analyze the BARRIERS to good performance and remove themOne of the most interesting results ever found in the psychological research of educationWhy pleasure maximization is a flawed model for human understandingWe dig into the the science of motivation itselfThe difference between social norms and market norms (and why it’s important)Why you would rather move a couch for free, than get paid $5 to do itIdeas for how we can use psychology to change America’s education systemWhy suicide rate among physicians are climbing rapidly The Crazy Day Care Story (and why its important) How effort and complexity create affinity for things you work onWhy Dr. Dan Ariely and I both love legos! We go through half a dozen hilarious and very counter-intuitive findings from Dr. Dan Ariely's researchWe discuss the quest for symbolic immortality (and why it matters to you) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how our guest went from being “wildly unsuccessful”, sleeping in a used van, to launching a massive brand, the power of simple gratitude during the toughest challenges of our lives, the transformational superpowers that can change your life, the massive perspective shift you can grain from two simple words, and much more with John Jacobs.    John is the co-founder and chief creative optimist for Life is Good as well as the author of Life Is Good: The Book. He and his company have previously been featured on CNN, CNBC, Nightline, Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,and much more.The ten superpowers that can change your lifeWhat drove John to find a way to combine art and business to launch an amazing companyHow Life is Good went from being “wildly unsuccessful”, sleeping in a used van, to launching a massive brandWhy its often the people that face the biggest adversity and trauma that embrace the real meaning of “life is good"How Life is Good takes a stand against the negativity in the news media The incredible power of simple gratitude during the toughest challenges of our livesHow to focus on optimism without ignoring the negative experiences in your lifeHow the story of one person can transform your experience The Amazing story of how one act of hate created a wave of loveHow John embarks on his mission to “spread the power of optimism"Even when facing hardest adversity - you can consciously shift your mind to the positive and grow good instead of being consumed by the negativeThe incredible power of optimism and strategies to become more optimisticWhy you should never say you “have to” do something (and what you should say instead)Incredible, simple perspective shift you can get by changing a SINGLE WORD when you find yourself complainingThe Rule of “Yes, And,” how it can have a huge impact on your life & unleash your creativityThe real depth behind the concept of “life is good”and why its OK to acknowledge the painful parts of your lifeThe importance of taking a few moments to connect with someoneWhy fun is “part of the main course” and not your dessertHow to find simple ways to weave joy into your life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look at the single biggest factor that impacts your performance at work, the 7 major catalysts for creating progress in your life, we dig deep into the data to look closely at the correlations between mental states and actual performance in terms of creativity, technical skill, productivity and much more with Dr. Teresa Amabile. Dr. Amabile is a Professor and Director of Research at Harvard Business School. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford. Her research investigates how life inside organizations can influence people and their performance. She has published over 100 articles in top scholarly journal and is the co-author of The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, as well as Creativity in Context and Growing up Creative.  We discuss:  How offering a reward can undermine people’s intrinsic motivation to do something  We dig deep into the nearly 12,000 daily diary entries from over 200 professionals inside organizations that formed the foundation of Teresa’s research  We look closely at the correlations between mental states and actual performance in terms of creativity, technical skill, productivity and more   How positive and negative work environments arise within organizations   Your “inner work life” and why its so important (and you may not even be aware of it)  How external motivators can accidentally wipe out your true motive for working and achieving your goals  Why “Making Progress on Meaningful Work” is the single biggest factor impacting performance  An important and powerful tool that managers can use to help people do better in their work and have better experiences every day  The "intrinsic motivation principle of creativity” and why it matters to you!   The largest disconnect between what managers think motivates their employees and what the research actually shows that motivates them  The 7 catalysts to creating progress in your life  The importance of having clear goals (what you’re doing and why it matters)  Why creating a culture where people learn from problems, failures, and mistakes is vital to success  The importance of control and autonomy in your work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we explore how you can learn from dating mistakes to make better financial choices, the most expensive words in investing (and how you can avoid them), why highly qualified experts are wrong more than 94% of the time, the importance of focusing on process vs outcome and much more with Dr. Daniel Crosby. Dr. Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert as well the author of New York Times Best-Seller "Personal Benchmark: Integrating Behavioral Finance and Investment Management” as well as “Laws of Wealth: Psychology  and the secret to investing success.” He was named named one of the “12 Thinkers to Watch” by Monster.com, a “Financial Blogger You Should Be Reading” by AARP and listed on the Top 40 Under 40 by Investment News.com.   We discuss:How Daniel works to integrate the messiness of human psychology into fields like economics and financeHow your emotional state colors your perception of riskHow you can learn from dating mistakes to make better financial choicesThe most expensive words in investing (and how you can avoid them) The insane “tulip” craze and what it says about financial marketsWhy in our efforts to manage risk we often create the outcomes we are trying to avoidHow you control what matters most (often without realizing it)The importance of focusing on process vs outcomeWhy “you are not special” and how that advice can save you a lot of money! Why experts are wrong 94% of the timeWhy really successful people automate their day and free up their cognitive power for more important tasksHow to be aware of the biases impacting our thinking and get a second opinionThe importance of being “not stupid” instead of being smartExistential boundary experiences and how they can transform youHow to break out of the glorified business of our daily lives and embrace the inevitability of our own mortality2 simple and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your personal finance and investment knowledgeAnd much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Voss, the former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI and founder of the Black Swan Group, shares his expertise in negotiation and emotional intelligence. He reveals secret strategies used by hostage negotiators and discusses the importance of 'tactical empathy' in influencing others. Listen as he highlights the significance of understanding emotional drivers, the two transformative words for negotiations, and why building rapport through trust is crucial. Voss also stresses that understanding is different from agreement, a key takeaway for effective communication.

In this episode we talk about execution, how to break down big goals into actionable steps, how and why Neil hired a “mama” for himself, the “ten minute rule” that could help you achieve big productivity gains and how to optimize your life to free up huge amounts of time with entrepreneur Neil Patel.   Neil is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 online marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies in the world. He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by the United Nations. Neil has also been awarded Congressional Recognition from the United States House of Representatives.  We discuss:How to break huge goals into small bite sized tasks that you can quickly and easily executeHow Neil defines success and why money wont make you happyThe "10 minute rule" and how it can help you achieve big results“Hacks” that Neil recommends for those who want to climb the corporate ladderHow to go from A to Z by skipping B, C, D etc and getting straight to the resultWhy you don’t have to take the traditional path the everyone else does to get what you want in lifeThe strategy Neil uses to pitch huge deals to corporate executivesHow to optimize your life to save time and free your time upThe rules that Neil uses to improve and use his time more efficientlyHow Neil hired a “mom” to cook him breakfast and do his laundry (and why!)How to manufacture and generate luck for yourselfWhy shouldn’t “rent your dreams"How to take action on the things that matter and actually create results, so you can stop spinning your wheelsAnd much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we explore the link between trauma, mental health, learning disabilities and genius, look at a number of historical figures and how they harnessed challenges like depression and ADHD to achieve world-changing results, and examine the practical steps you can take to overcome struggles today with Dr. Gail Saltz.   Dr. Gail Saltz is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell School of medicine and a psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute. She is a columnist, bestselling author, podcast host and television commentator and one of the nation’s foremost go-to experts on a variety of psychological and mental health issues, having appeared on Good Morning America, Dr. Oz, The View, Dateline, 20/20, Primetime, Today, CNN, CBS This Morning, MSNBC, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more.    We discuss:How people like Vincent Van Gogh and Abraham Lincoln harnessed their mental issues to achieve successDeconstructing the “psychobiographies” of some of the greatest achievers in the world (DaVinci, Einstein, Lincoln, etc)Close to half of Americans struggle with some sort of mental health issueWhat people who are embarrassed about seeking help can doWhy “mental illness” is often a STRENGTH and the greatest achievements are a often a DIRECT RESULT of struggles with issues like dyslexia, anxiety, depression, etcHow Abraham Lincoln struggled his whole life with depression and why it gave him the empathy to reshape historyHow Einstein overcome crippling ADHD to change physicsPractical steps that someone can take who is struggling with anxiety and depression right nowHow to hone-in on your strengths and leverage themHow we get caught in defeating stories that we tell ourselvesHow to identify and “re-write” self-defeating stories that we tell ourselvesA few actionable insights into how to improve and build relationships from one of the best sex and relationships experts in the worldHow to LISTEN better, improve communication, and build better relationshipsAnd more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we discuss how to create evil in a research laboratory, what makes people “turn evil”, we examine the definition of heroism, dig into the famous Stanford Prison Experiment, explore time paradoxes, and much more with the legendary Dr. Philip Zimbardo.  Dr. Zimbardo is an internationally recognized scholar, educator, researcher and media personality, winning numerous awards and honors in each of these domains. He has been a Stanford University professor since 1968, where he conducted the famous Stanford Prison Experiment. His career is noted for giving psychology away to the public through his popular PBS-TV series, Discovering Psychology, along with many text and trade books, among his 500+ publications. He was recently president of the American Psychological Association.  We discuss:How to create evil in a research laboratoryThe different kinds of evilIs there a fixed line between good and evil?What is the definition of heroism (and how its distinct from altruism)How Dr. Z defines evil (and why thats important)What happens when you put only good people in a really bad situation?The inside take on the famous Stanford Prison ExperimentHow a situation can create an emotional breakdown in a normal, healthy, smart person in less than 36 hoursThe social processes that can grease the slippery slope of evilHow normal people can transform into monstersThe substantial risks of dehumanizationThe power of the heroic imaginationHow teachers can bring the best out in their studentsThe time paradox and how we live with vastly different time perspectives How conflicts derive from people’s differing time perspectivesIf you want to hear from a titan of psychology about the inner workings of the human mind - listen to this episode!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.