Focus: The Secret to High Performance and Fulfillment

Daniel Goleman

Insightful Video

Psychologist Daniel Goleman shot to fame with his groundbreaking bestseller Emotional Intelligence. The premise of the book, now widely accepted, is that raw intelligence alone is not a sure predictor of success in life. A greater role is played by 'softer' skills such as self-control, self-motivation, empathy and good interpersonal relationships.

 Now Goleman comes to Intelligence Squared for an exclusive talk on the themes of his latest book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence. Attention, he will argue, is an underrated asset for high achievers in any field. Incorporating findings from neuroscience, Goleman will show why we need three kinds of focus: inner, for self-awareness; other, for the empathy that builds effective relationships; and outer, for understanding the larger systems in which organisations operate. Those who excel rely on Smart Practices such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and positive emotions that help improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence.

(Description from YouTube)

How to Spot a Con-Artist and How to Avoid Becoming Their Victim

How to Spot a Con-Artist and How to Avoid Becoming Their Victim

Steven Burns

Solutions in Mind

Insightful Article

I’ve been fascinated by con-artists for quite some time.

In my business life, I would say I’ve worked closely with two individuals who I would regard as con-artists. 

One who has reached near mastery in the craft and another who has serious potential.

For me, being involved in a business relationship with them was deeply troubling while at the same time equally fascinating. 

Call me weird but there’s something morbidly interesting about someone who is clearly pathological but doesn’t seem to care, or in fact even notice.

Someone who is so comfortable with dishonesty, cunning and deception that you start to ask yourself if you are the one who is abnormal.

I also found it interesting that it took me such a long time to realise that they were con-artists; I wanted to believe in their inherent goodness and, perversely, this ended up working against me. 

And I wasn’t the only one. 

The individuals in question have successfully pulled the wool over thousands of people’s eyes, and still continue to do so. 

People want to believe in the potential of human kindness and honesty and, while this is undoubtedly a valuable trait, it can sometimes be their downfall.

In her excellent book, The Confidence Game, Anna Konnikova, actually goes as far as to say that intelligent, honest, well-meaning individuals are exactly the type of people who do fall for a con. 

They are the most susceptible to it because their mind struggles, and sometimes blatantly refuses, to accept that someone could be as cunningly deceptive as a con-artist can be.

Read the full article here

YOL - Bektaşî by Kudsi Erguner and Erol Parlak

Meditation Music

Music Video

 

YOL (engl: "journey") is a project for which the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar / Transcultural Music Studies invited two high-class musicians from Turkey - Erol Parlak and Kudsi Erguner. In Weimar they appeared on the scene together for the first time. In this piece they present classical mystic music from the Ottoman era, Âşık-tunes and instrumental music from Anatolia.

 

Kudsi Erguner - Ney

Erol Parlak - Baglama and Vocals

Pierre Rigopoulos - Percussion

How to Unlock Genius and Uncover Your Superpower

Jim Kwik

Impact Theory

Tom Bilyeu

Inspirational Video

Jim Kwik is a globally recognized leader in memory improvement, brain performance, and accelerated learning. In his lifetime, he’s sustained two traumatic brain injuries that left him with significant learning disabilities. But despite the obstacles he had to overcome in recovery, he became obsessed with the brain and its superpower-like capabilities. He has now turned his obsession into a revolutionary accelerated learning system that has helped numerous celebrity clients and students in over 150 countries. Jim Kwik sits down with Tom Bilyeu to discuss intriguing insights in hacking the brain in this week’s episode of Impact Theory.