Episode 106 Scott Adams

Summary

• Scott Adams is a famous cartoonist and author
• He discusses his use of affirmations, hypnosis, and his fascination with Donald Trump
• He talks about his approach to life with systems instead of goals
• Adams shares his thoughts on engineering humor and the most underrated comics
• He talks about getting into the best shape of his life at 58
• Adams discusses his approach to creativity and productivity
• He shares his thoughts on the future of work and automation
• Adams talks about the role of luck in success and the importance of asking for help
• He discusses the value of diversity and how to deal with difficult people
• Scott Adams is a famous cartoonist and the creator of the Dilbert comic strip
• He has written several nonfiction books and is interested in hypnosis
• He is currently fascinated by Donald Trump and the negotiation tactics he uses in his campaign for president
• Adams approaches his life with systems instead of goals
• He discusses how he used affirmations to pick successful stocks and how he raised his GMAT score from the 77th percentile to the 99th percentile through affirmations and visualization
• He also talks about the six dimensions of humor and how to engineer humor in a comic strip or other form of media
• Adams shares how he got into the best shape of his life at age 58 and his thoughts on goal setting versus systems.
• Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, discusses the use of affirmations for success in various areas such as the stock market, career, and relationships
• He believes that affirmations can help focus the mind and memory on specific things and allow a person to notice opportunities or information in their environment that they may have previously ignored
• Adams also talks about hypnosis and how he became interested in it, as well as common misconceptions about the practice
• The conversation also covers Adams' thoughts on Donald Trump as a negotiator, the importance of systems over goals, the six dimensions of humor, and his physical fitness routine
• Adams shares anecdotes about his experiences with affirmations and the successes he has had using them, but also acknowledges the possibility of selective memory or survivorship bias in his experiences.
• Scott Adams is an author and speaker on the topic of persuasion
• Adams used pacing and leading techniques in his book "Win Bigly" to keep readers interested and engaged
• Pacing involves matching the person you're trying to persuade in order to build a bond and make them feel comfortable
• Leading involves introducing unexpected ideas or thoughts to take the conversation to a new place
• Judo involves matching and leading an opponent in order to control their movements and balance
• Adams was introduced to hypnosis and persuasion through his job at a restaurant where he was trained to make customers feel welcome
• Adams also learned about hypnosis through a book by Calvin Dutton called "The New Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnotism"
• Adams believes affirmations can be a useful tool for setting and achieving goals, but cautions that they may not work for everyone.
• Language can control the way people think, with words having different effects on people's thoughts and feelings
• Scott Adams believes that hypnosis and the science of persuasion are related and that language can be used to program people's brains
• Milton Erickson is considered the father of hypnosis and his school of hypnosis has influenced the development of neuro linguistic programming (NLP)
• NLP is a way of using language as a programming language and is based on the principles of hypnosis, but is often marketed with additional techniques that are not as effective
• Donald Trump's use of language, including his use of slogans and repetition, is similar to the principles of hypnosis and NLP
• Trump's ability to persuade and manipulate people through language may have been influenced by his association with NLP cofounder Tony Robbins.
• Language and hypnosis have a close relationship, with certain words and patterns of language having the ability to manipulate the brain
• Writer Scott Adams uses hypnosis techniques in his writing, such as using the same language and thoughts as his readers to create a bond and make them feel comfortable
• Adams argues that Donald Trump uses hypnosis techniques, such as using language and symbols to create an exclusive brand and taking the "high ground" in arguments, to win support and manipulate his audience
• Trump's use of the phrase "check your facts" is an example of the "high ground maneuver," which allows him to deflect criticism and appear more knowledgeable
• Adams believes that Trump's success in persuasion and hypnosis techniques may be due to his background in sales and negotiation, as well as his friendship with hypnotherapy pioneer Milton Erickson
• Trump's tactics are not necessarily conscious or part of a grand conspiracy, but rather a result of his understanding and use of hypnosis techniques
• The speaker believes that using willpower to achieve goals is not effective in the long run and instead relies on a system to achieve his goals
• The speaker eats whatever he wants, whenever he wants, but focuses on making sure the food he eats is healthy and won't lead to cravings
• The speaker also focuses on getting enough sleep, eating fat to reduce cravings, and mostly eating raw fruits, vegetables, and salads
• The speaker tries to introduce fish into his diet but has difficulty due to the "icky factor"
• The speaker uses visualization to achieve his goals and believes it is a powerful tool
• The speaker suggests setting small, achievable goals and celebrating their achievement to build momentum towards larger goals
• Scott Adams is the creator of the comic strip Dilbert
• Dilbert's character is based on himself and his experiences in corporate America
• Dogbert is the evil part of his brain and represents his megalomania and lack of regard for others
• Adams included his email address in his comic strip to interact with readers and get feedback
• He also has a blog and is active on social media to interact with his audience
• Adams believes that successful people have a system rather than relying on willpower
• He suggests focusing on small, achievable goals and finding something you enjoy to make the journey to success more enjoyable
• Adams also recommends finding a mentor and learning from their experiences
• He emphasizes the importance of education and continuous learning
• Adams believes in the power of visualization and setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound (SMART) goals
• He also advocates for finding ways to increase your perceived personal value to increase your success in life and career.