S1E10 - The Power of Priming

This week, McKay explains the science behind priming and shielding. Priming and shielding affect our behavior which, in turn, influences our goals. McKay discusses how to use priming and shielding to our advantage and to achieve our purpose. McKay opens the episode with the story of George Danzig and how he was primed into facing challenges. He explains what priming is and how we subconsciously prime everyday. Throughout this episode, he gives studies of priming including John Bar’s experiment, and goes on to explain how priming can be used to shape up our lives using the power of reading and imagery. He concludes with 3 keys to make shielding work for you and the power of knowing your ‘why’.

The Finer Details of This Episode:

• The priming story of the American mathematical scientist, George Bernard Danzig

• What is psychological priming?

• How pre-established habits influence your thinking and ultimately prime you

• The legend of the Touchstone: A priming example

• How does priming reflect in our lives?

• The outcome of John Bar’s priming experiment

• Engaging the power of priming to your advantage

• The power of reading and imagery and how they affect your thinking

• 2014 Super Bowl: The power of imagery at work

• What is psychological shielding?

• 3 keys to making shielding work for you

• Harnessing the power of “Why” to do what seems impossible

Quotes: “What you read will control the way you act.” “We are primed everyday.” “Prime your brain with the right input each day.” “He who has a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.” “There is tremendous power in shielding.” “The ultimate shield is to have a real purpose in our life or goal.” “That purpose, if strong enough, will override habit, temptation, or any other disruption.” “When you find your ‘why’, you can't see very many obstacles.” “A ‘why’ is the ultimate shield against bad habits. The stronger the ‘why’, the stronger the shield.” Show Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen