Know your inner saboteurs: Shirzad Chamine at TEDxStanford

Have you ever felt like an invisible force is holding you back from reaching your full potential? This video, featuring Shirzad Chamine at TEDxStanford, delves into the concept of “inner saboteurs”—the negative thought patterns that undermine our success and happiness. Chamine reveals how these saboteurs, often operating subconsciously, create unnecessary stress, hinder our relationships, and sabotage our performance. He presents a compelling framework for understanding these internal adversaries and how they impact our lives.

Chamine identifies ten common saboteurs, including the Judge, the Controller, the Victim, and others, each with its own distinct way of derailing our efforts. He contrasts these saboteurs with the “Sage,” the positive, wise part of ourselves that offers clarity, empathy, and innovation. The video introduces the concept of Positive Intelligence (PQ), a measure of the relative strength of our Sage versus our saboteurs, demonstrating how a higher PQ leads to greater well-being and effectiveness.

This talk is a powerful call to awareness, urging us to recognize and dismantle the internal obstacles that prevent us from thriving. Chamine offers practical strategies for weakening our saboteurs and strengthening our Sage, empowering us to cultivate a more positive and productive mindset. By understanding and managing these internal voices, we can unlock our potential and live a more fulfilling and impactful life.