A Deeper Look at Trump

15. Sep
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Photo by Gage Skidmore

A few weeks ago I read a blog post written by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, that prompted me to take a much closer look at Donald Trump. Scott has been blogging frequently regarding something he calls the Master Wizard Hypothesis, which is essentially the premise that Trump is far, far more than he appears, and that his success in this race shouldn’t be surprising. Seriously, whether you love Trump or hate him, those blog posts are worth reading.

After digging in to Scott’s posts, and doing a ton of research of my own, I felt like I’d seen and heard enough to buy into the theory, so I wrote a post for Entrepreneur exploring some of the psychological tactics that Trump seems to be using to get ahead.

Thanks to that post, I was invited to hop on the radio this afternoon with Dr. Drew to talk a bit more about Trump and his tactics (or lack thereof, depending on your point of view). You can listen to that conversation below, or download it here (my bit starts at 1m 55s).

After chatting with Dr. Drew and his guest Dr. Ramani Durvasula, I noodled a bit more on some of the topics covered on the call, and wanted to dive into those thoughts in more depth.

Becoming Telepathic

Before you learn to change the perceptions of others, first you need to master your own perceptions. Alas, I can’t actually make you telepathic (sorry!), but I can get you closer than 99% of the population.

First and foremost, you need to become aware of your surroundings. The average Joe spends 9-10 hours per day glued to a digital device of one kind or another (TV, phone, etc.). Unfortunately, since less than 2% of the population is actually neurologically capable of multi-tasking, this poses a bit of a problem when it comes to our awareness of our surroundings.

Now, don’t go having a heart attack or anything just yet…I’m not telling you to get rid of your digital devices! But, at least for a period of time, you’re going to need to spend more time with your eyes on the world, instead of on a screen. Continue reading…

Know Thyself

Smart guy, Plato. If you study his writings, you’ll quickly realize that people haven’t really changed all that much in the last 2,500 years.

This admonition, to know thyself, is one of the most important yet oft neglected elements of our lives. It’s also pretty much the only reason that psychiatrists exist, because we tend to suck royally in the self-awareness department.

First though, let’s actually define “thyself.” It might seem pretty straightforward, almost “duh” material…but it isn’t. Let’s turn to neuroscience for a bit, and see if we can’t distill the concept of self down to its most basic elements. Continue reading…

Clothes Make the Man

A photo from Kingsman: The Secret Service (movie)

As Shakespeare said, “Clothes make the man.” (And Kingsman is a freaking awesome movie, if you haven’t seen it!)

For all of recorded history, the “upper class” has used clothing as a means to set themselves apart from the masses, and the same is true today.

How you dress says an enormous amount about who you are: your attention to detail, your level of sophistication, how much money you have, and more. You want to make sure that you’re sending the right message via your attire.

To that end, I’ve found one rule to be unfailingly useful in the pursuit of wealth and power: Be the best dressed person in the room. Continue reading…

It’s Alive!

09. Jun
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Afters years of writing and many long months of pre-launch marketing work, Screw the Zoo is officially in the wild!! If you haven’t already ordered your copy, you can pick one up on Amazon here (and if you have already ordered your copy, then YOU ROCK!)

But wait, there’s more…In honor of launch week, I’m running a contest! Here are the details: Continue reading…