Psychology of Certainty

You can use the same powerful principles that marketing firms use to promote millions of products and services, to promote yourself and build your self-esteem.

School can oftentimes lower our self-esteem. If you do poorly in one class or receive lower grades, you can begin to feel bad about yourself, your abilities, and your potential. You can counteract the negative effects of the competitive nature of school by using the psychology of certainty.

You Have Great Potential

If you read that title and disagreed, ask yourself why.

If you didn’t believe the title, who told you you don’t have great potential? How would they know what you’re truly capable of?

What you have been told all your life can cause you to have a growth or a fixed mindset. The psychology of certainty can help you to have a positive view of yourself and your potential.

Watch the video.

  • The psychology of certainty relies on the power of consensus. The more people speak highly of produce or give it high ratings, the more likely we are to believe the product is great. The opposite is true too. So the first step is to become keenly aware if the majority of people in your life are constantly critical of you, or speak negatively of you.

  • Next, become completely aware of the messaging you are receiving on a daily bases about yourself and your abilities. If you are repetitively hearing only negative things about yourself there is a need for change. Otherwise, you may begin to believe what you’re being told. Keep in mind that messaging may come from the Internet or social media. So be aware of how those things make you feel.

  • It could be that the general consensus from your friends or family is that you are selfish, or lazy. If these are legitimate issues, address them right away. Make that change. If the issues are not reasonable, then seek out people who are positive and encouraging. Similarly, if the messaging you’re hearing on a regular basis is valid, make a change. If the messaging is negative and critical without merit, change your friend’s circle. The people in your life can either help you create a growth or fixed mindset. A growth mindset is a key to success in the workplace and in life.

Steps for Change

Metacognitive Goal

For the next week use the metacognitive goal as explained in the video. If you like this micro lesson, check out the Growth Environment Mastery advanced course.

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