Brain Fuel

Following his popular lecture on positive psychology and the science of happiness, Shawn Achor now turns to the topic of potential. Researchers have recently undertaken the difficult task of quantifying potential and attempting to determine whether someone will achieve his or her potential. Questions posed by researchers range from the physical to the mental. What is the fastest a person can run? How smart can a human become? How strong? Why do some certified geniuses achieve while others do not? Why do some incredibly gifted athletes fail? This lecture examines people who appear to possess inherent potential and have achieved success as well (athletes, Navy SEALs, and Ivy League students, to name a few). Researchers have looked at positive and negative praise, humility, and expectation management and now hypothesize that small changes in the way we think about the world have a tangible effect upon whether or not we live up to our potential.