No. 1 Psychologist: How to Change Your Identity & Accomplish Your Hardest Goals

Shane Parrish and Maya Shankar dive into the complexities of identity and personal transformation. They explore how significant life changes can reshape one's sense of self and explain how to navigate these transitions. Maya shares her personal stories and tips on making proactive choices and keeping a flexible, layered sense of self. They also discuss the psychological and philosophical aspects of identity, offering practical advice on goal-setting and personal growth.

Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and the creator, executive producer, and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans. Shankar was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Oxford and a B.A from Yale.

00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Shankar's "almost unbelievable" story of getting into Julliard
03:50 - Why Shankar studied identity
09:58 - What is identity?
13:12 - Using your identity to accomplish your goals
16:20 - Using anti-identities to accomplish your goals
17:11 - What to do when your identity is "attacked"
24:50 - How to re-establish trust in institutions
30:50 - Use identity to start a positive habit
33:55 - How to debunk myths with stories and facts
35:38 - How does how we frame our goals help (or prevent) us from accomplishing them
41:31 - The one motivational technique Shankar uses every day
43:35 - On success

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