Your personality and your brain | Scott Schwefel | TEDxBrookings

Summary

This talk delves into the science of communication and its crucial role in business growth. The speaker emphasizes self-awareness as the key to igniting personal and professional success. By exploring various personality types, such as fiery red, sunshine yellow, earth green, and cool blue, the speaker explains how understanding one's communication style—and recognizing the differences in others—can foster better relationships and more effective business interactions. The importance of consciously recognizing unconscious patterns and learning to adapt communication strategies is highlighted as a path to personal and business transformation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Self-awareness is key to igniting your business for growth and success. Understanding yourself and others leads to better communication and impact.
• 😀 Knowing your personality and how you're wired, along with understanding those around you, can significantly improve business and personal interactions.
• 😀 The question 'Who are you?' is a powerful one for self-reflection, and answering it creatively can increase your self-awareness.
• 😀 We often view ourselves differently from how others perceive us. Our self-perception and the image we project may not align.
• 😀 Subconscious patterns in our brain influence how we interact with others. Becoming conscious of these patterns allows for better control over outcomes.
• 😀 Carl Jung's concept of 'the otherness of the other' emphasizes the importance of understanding and being aware of the differences in others to improve communication.
• 😀 Overusing personality traits (like fiery red energy or sunshine yellow enthusiasm) can lead to negative perceptions by others. Awareness of when these traits go too far is crucial.
• 😀 Different personality types, such as fiery red (task-oriented), sunshine yellow (people-oriented), earth green (caring and patient), and cool blue (analytical), affect how people interact and make decisions.
• 😀 Being conscious of how we interact with others, based on their energy and personality traits, can help improve communication and reduce misunderstandings.
• 😀 Jungian psychology underpins popular models like Myers-Briggs, helping us understand personality types and enhance our interactions with others.
• 😀 Understanding your family and colleagues' personalities can improve relationships both at home and in the workplace. Tailor your interactions based on their personality energies.

Q & A

What is the core focus of the presentation?

The core focus of the presentation is on the brain science of communication, specifically how self-awareness plays a critical role in communication and business growth.

Why does the speaker ask the audience to think about an alliterative adjective for their name?

The speaker asks this question to prompt self-awareness and challenge the audience to think consciously about how they see themselves in the present moment, which is an uncommon and insightful approach compared to typical self-descriptions.

What does the speaker mean by 'the science of self-awareness'?

The 'science of self-awareness' refers to understanding oneself deeply—how aware we are of our capabilities, personality, and how we interact with others. This self-awareness helps improve communication and personal and professional growth.

How does the speaker illustrate the concept of self-awareness with the kitten and lion analogy?

The speaker uses the kitten and lion analogy to highlight differences in self-perception and confidence. Some people may identify more with the 'kitten,' feeling small or less confident, while others identify with the 'lion,' feeling strong and assertive. This illustrates how we view ourselves and how we project that image to the world.

What is the role of the subconscious brain in communication, according to the speaker?

The subconscious brain influences communication by making assumptions and providing automatic answers, which can often be incorrect. The speaker urges the audience to become more conscious and aware of these subconscious biases and assumptions to improve communication.

What does Carl Jung's idea of 'the otherness of the other' mean in the context of communication?

Carl Jung's concept of 'the otherness of the other' refers to the idea that, in order to communicate effectively, one must be aware of and understand the differences in others' personalities, perspectives, and behaviors, not just their own.

How does the speaker suggest we can change our subconscious patterns to improve communication?

The speaker suggests that by using conscious thinking—such as having new thoughts or ideas—we can create new patterns in our subconscious. This shift can help change our outcomes and improve how we interact with others.

What are the four personality types discussed in the presentation?

The four personality types discussed are fiery red (task-oriented, competitive, determined), sunshine yellow (energetic, people-oriented, enthusiastic), earth green (caring, patient, empathetic), and cool blue (analytical, cautious, structured).

How does the overuse of personality traits impact communication?

Overusing any personality trait can lead to negative perceptions. For example, overusing fiery red energy might be seen as aggressive or controlling, while overusing sunshine yellow might come off as excitable or hasty. Awareness of when these traits are being overused helps maintain balanced communication.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of knowing your opposite energy in communication?

The speaker emphasizes understanding your opposite energy because people with different personality traits often perceive your behavior negatively when you overuse your natural traits. By knowing and adjusting to your opposite's energy, communication becomes more effective.