If you are a student/follower of Tony Robbins, more power to you.
i would rather study and learn from people like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. And, one thing Warren and Charlie are clear-eyed about is the importance of diagnosis. For example, when dealing with complex things they ask the question “What the hell is going on here, and why the hell is it happening?”
Here is the answer.
Have you ever heard of inspiration junkies? If so, do you think they are a real thing? i don’t think there is any question that inspiration junkies are a thing, and that is because inspiration is functionally equivalent to a drug. Being a “drug,” people can get hooked on inspiration, and Tony Robbins is only too happy to continue selling doses.
For example, to enact change Robbins says people need to get into “state.” And guess what, he isn’t wrong. The main problem is he is only telling you half of the story. To get into state, Robbins wants you to attend his in-person retreats. But, is that the only way? And, is it the most productive way?
Let’s be clear on two things. For one, the “state” Robbins is talking about is what the literature calls positivity or positive emotion. And two, productivity is a combination of effectiveness and efficiency. So to circle back to the questions we are asking, is attending the Robbins in-person events the most productive path to enact change?
I think the clear answer is No.
Here is why. While on the one hand, yes, attending a Robbins event is probably an effective way to get into a state of positive emotion, the enormous problem is the efficiency of the process.
It shouldn’t be controversial to claim the key to learning and change is repetition. And the bigger the change, or the more complex the skill, the more repetition is required. So, hopefully the problem is obvious. Due to the cost and the relative infrequency, attending a Robbins event isn’t an efficient path to change/growth.
Is there a more productive path to lasting change?
The answer is Yes, and here it is.
In a previous post, i introduced you to a professor at the University of North Carolina named Barbara Fredrickson. Professor Fredrickson is well-known for her broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, which says positive emotions help broaden our awareness and build our resources. Fredrickson’s work is a much more elegant, accurate and clear explanation of what Robbins calls “state.”
And, here is the best news.
Professor Fredrickson has published a book for a general audience about her broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. The book is titled Positivity and you can easily get a copy for less than $20. And i am very confident, your odds of affecting change are much better with Fredrickson than with Robbins.
But, again, if you are a student/follower of Tony Robbins, more power to you. Please just know how clear it is that a reliable way into “state” is openness to experience. So if you are willing to have an open mind, i believe studying Fredrickson’s book is a much more reliable path to where you wanna go.
The answer is Yes, and here it is.
In a previous post, i introduced you to a professor at the University of North Carolina named Barbara Fredrickson. Professor Fredrickson is well-known for her broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, which says positive emotions help broaden our awareness and build our resources. Fredrickson’s work is a much more elegant, accurate and clear explanation of what Robbins calls “state.”
And, here is the best news.
Professor Fredrickson has published a book for a general audience about her broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. The book is titled Positivity and you can easily get a copy for less than $20. And i am very confident, your odds of affecting change are much better with Fredrickson than with Robbins.
But, again, if you are a student/follower of Tony Robbins, more power to you. Please just know how clear it is that a reliable way into “state” is openness to experience. So if you are willing to have an open mind, i believe studying Fredrickson’s book is a much more reliable path to where you wanna go.
