Professor Steve Peters

as an example, so that it gives them that remit to say, well, I'm not well, I'm not well, when the reality is they don't know how to move forward. So it's easier to just go, I'm not well, and people then go, well, they're not well. And there'll be some truth in it, but actually not fully the truth. So people often use as a defence mechanism the victim role.

as an example, so that it gives them that remit to say, well, I'm not well, I'm not well, when the reality is they don't know how to move forward. So it's easier to just go, I'm not well, and people then go, well, they're not well. And there'll be some truth in it, but actually not fully the truth. So people often use as a defence mechanism the victim role.

Sometimes they have been a victim and then they need to work through that and process it, but there's a danger you start to use it or you start blaming circumstance. Like you might have said to me, I didn't make it because my parents never helped me. Well, you know, there are people whose parents don't help them, but they do make it.

Sometimes they have been a victim and then they need to work through that and process it, but there's a danger you start to use it or you start blaming circumstance. Like you might have said to me, I didn't make it because my parents never helped me. Well, you know, there are people whose parents don't help them, but they do make it.

So you have to say, well, hang on, don't use that because it'll keep you in this not great place. There will be truth in it potentially. And then I would give the TLC and the recognition that that didn't help. But on the other hand, let's look at what you can do, regardless of the background.

So you have to say, well, hang on, don't use that because it'll keep you in this not great place. There will be truth in it potentially. And then I would give the TLC and the recognition that that didn't help. But on the other hand, let's look at what you can do, regardless of the background.

What I'm saying with this is, again, teasing out the neuroscience, if we go on motivation, and again, if people use it, great, but the evidence is that it doesn't really help. It doesn't really work. It's very hard to maintain. Whereas if that's the chimp system, so it can work if your chimp is motivated because the reward is so big, their motivation will follow that and be high.

What I'm saying with this is, again, teasing out the neuroscience, if we go on motivation, and again, if people use it, great, but the evidence is that it doesn't really help. It doesn't really work. It's very hard to maintain. Whereas if that's the chimp system, so it can work if your chimp is motivated because the reward is so big, their motivation will follow that and be high.

But we all know that I get a lot of talks, can you help motivate? And I say, no, not at all. I don't want to do that because you're constantly propping it up. My approach, which is not, as everyone will agree, is if you look at the neuroscience, if you use commitment, that means I remove my emotion and I plan on what I have to do and I get on with it.

But we all know that I get a lot of talks, can you help motivate? And I say, no, not at all. I don't want to do that because you're constantly propping it up. My approach, which is not, as everyone will agree, is if you look at the neuroscience, if you use commitment, that means I remove my emotion and I plan on what I have to do and I get on with it.

So commitment, there's a lot of evidence that that makes us succeed. So, for example, if I've got to go and weed the garden, it's not my favourite pastime, but I think, right, you know, the neighbours might complain. I don't have any neighbours, but they might. And my chimp's going, oh, leave it, who cares? There's only weeds and it's going to kill you back.

So commitment, there's a lot of evidence that that makes us succeed. So, for example, if I've got to go and weed the garden, it's not my favourite pastime, but I think, right, you know, the neighbours might complain. I don't have any neighbours, but they might. And my chimp's going, oh, leave it, who cares? There's only weeds and it's going to kill you back.

But I would then say, which I will, right, you stay in here, I'm going out, and if you want to join me, great, but I'm doing the garden. I remove emotion and I say what has to be done is getting done and is getting done now. We're not discussing it and I will start.

But I would then say, which I will, right, you stay in here, I'm going out, and if you want to join me, great, but I'm doing the garden. I remove emotion and I say what has to be done is getting done and is getting done now. We're not discussing it and I will start.

Motivation will follow commitment and that means the chimp brain will then get behind me because by the time we've done half the garden, it will say, I can't believe we've left it this long. That's a typical approach by the chimp. And then it tries to make me finish. Now I might have to stop and say, let's respect my back now. We'll stop now. So I manage my emotions by using commitment.

Motivation will follow commitment and that means the chimp brain will then get behind me because by the time we've done half the garden, it will say, I can't believe we've left it this long. That's a typical approach by the chimp. And then it tries to make me finish. Now I might have to stop and say, let's respect my back now. We'll stop now. So I manage my emotions by using commitment.

And if they don't marry, I move them to one side. So I don't really work with emotion to drive me to do something. I think if people can use that and use motivation, that's great. My experience has been it doesn't actually hold.

And if they don't marry, I move them to one side. So I don't really work with emotion to drive me to do something. I think if people can use that and use motivation, that's great. My experience has been it doesn't actually hold.