The Genius of Instinct Reclaim Mother Nature's Tools for Enhancing Your Health, Happiness, Family, and Work

by Weisinger, Hendrie

• ISBN13: 9780132357029
• ISBN10: 013235702X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-03-18
• Publisher: Ft Pr

Summary

You're hardwired for success! Make your powerful human instincts work for you and become happier and healthier!-  Why everything you thought you knew about your instincts is wrong: stunning new lessons from evolutionary biology!-  Rediscover your six deepest, most important human instincts and use them to thrive in every part of your life.-  By renowned psychologist Dr. Hendrie Weisinger, author of The New York Times bestseller Nobody's Perfect. You're not just meant to survive: you're meant to thrive. And Mother Nature's given you an amazingly powerful set of tools to help you thrive: your human instincts. But we've forgotten those instincts. We've buried them under modern civilization and the foolish idea that only 'rationality' matters. That's why we're so often unhappy. It's why we get into the wrong relationships, take the wrong jobs, make the wrong choices. In this book, leading psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Henrie Weisinger shows how to change that. You'll discover how to get back in touch with your deepest human instincts, and use them to live a life that's happier, healthier, and more productive. Learn why you have emotions, and how to listen to them...how to scout out an environment that'll nurture you... how to become more comfortable with your vulnerabilities... have more fun by stimulating your curiosity... build deeper bonds with those around you... make yourself more attractive to mates and employers alike! You're hardwired for success. Use the powerful instincts Mother Nature gave you and gain the joy, fulfillment, and pleasure you deserve!

Author Biography

Dr. Hendrie Weisinger is trained in clinical, counseling, and organizational psychology. His work is known internationally. A New York Times bestselling author, he is a leading authority on the application of emotional intelligence, an expert in anger management, and the originator of the highly regarded techniques of criticism training. He has consulted to and conducts workshops for numerous Fortune 500 Companies, including IBM, AT&T, Intel, Motorola, Merrill Lynch, State Farm, The Hartford, Morgan Stanley, Wachovia Securities, Wells Fargo, Medtronic, Chase Manhattan, Nabisco, General Dynamics, Bank of America, Hughes Aircraft, TRW, Control Data, Nintendo, Merck, Avon, Hyatt, Sheraton, and Estée Lauder, to name just a few.

 

Dr. Weisinger’s expertise has also been sought out by government agencies, including the U.S. Justice Department, IRS, EPA, Secret Service, National Security Agency, FBI, and others. In addition, Dr. Weisinger has repeatedly addressed numerous professional and educational organizations, such as the Young Presidents Organization.

 

Dr. Weisinger is the author of several successful books. His first, Nobody’s Perfect, reached The New York Times Bestseller List. Dr. Weisinger’s Anger Workout Book, published in 1985, is now in its 27th printing. Anger at Work, a 1995 release, was hailed by the Journal of the Library of Congress as a book that “managers at all levels will find useful. Highly recommended.” His book Emotional Intelligence at Work is considered to be the best book on the application of emotional intelligence, and The Emotionally Intelligent Financial Advisor is the first book on emotional intelligence customized to a specific industry. His book The Power of Positive Criticism has already been translated into ten languages.

 

Dr. Weisinger has made more than 500 appearances on major television news and information programs, including The Today Show (several times, including five consecutive days for its show on anger), Oprah, and Good Morning America, and on other television and radio programs on CNN, CNBC, and NPR.

 

His work has been featured in numerous newspapers and national magazines, including The New York Times Sunday Business Section, USA Today, and BusinessWeek. His article for The Wall Street Journal, “So You’re Afraid to Criticize Your Boss,” was selected by Dow Jones as one of the 60 best articles published, and his article for TV Guide, “Tutored by Television,” is an example of how parents can help their children develop their emotional intelligence.

 

Dr. Weisinger has taught, and currently teaches, in many leading executive education and executive MBA programs, including Wharton, UCLA, NYU, MIT, Cornell, and Wake Forest.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Shelter Seek . . . So You Can Find Your Home	p. 9
Selecting an Empowering Environment	p. 11
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 11
Your Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness	p. 12
Surviving More Than Thriving	p. 13
Hardwired to Stay	p. 14
Beyond Self-Preservation	p. 15
The Face of Emotions	p. 17
Emotional Functioning	p. 17
Functional Distress	p. 19
Distress Awareness	p. 20
Follow Your Emotions, Manage Them Not	p. 22
Home Sweet Home	p. 25
Home Hunting	p. 27
Emotional Nutrients	p. 27
Contentment Versus Growth	p. 29
Match Play, Nature's Course	p. 30
Scouting Your Environment	p. 32
Sensing the Right Environment	p. 34
Shelter Seeking Today	p. 37
The Job Interview/Selection/Promotion/Transfer	p. 37
College Selection	p. 40
Mating: Love and Business	p. 41
Empowering Your Environment	p. 43
The Great Escape: Leaving the Nightmare	p. 45
The Future of Shelter Seeking	p. 49
Care Solicit . . . So You Can Protect Your Vulnerabilities	p. 51
Protecting Your Vulnerabilities	p. 53
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 53
911	p. 53
The Cry for Help Gets a Helping Hand	p. 54
Vulnerability: Positive Feelings-Not	p. 55
Anxiety Disorders	p. 56
Vulnerability Today	p. 57
The Invulnerability Trap	p. 58
Thoughts About Asking	p. 60
The Benefits of Vulnerability	p. 65
Befriending Your Feelings	p. 66
Be a Small Risk Taker	p. 67
Reach Out for Help	p. 68
The Importance of Ghost Busters	p. 71
Building Your "A" Team	p. 71
Using Your Team	p. 73
Team Maintenance	p. 75
Care Soliciting Today	p. 77
Care Soliciting Helps Take the Weight Off	p. 77
House Cleaning Bills	p. 79
Care Soliciting at Work	p. 81
Building Your Business	p. 83
The Care-Soliciting President	p. 85
There Will Always Be Kryptonite	p. 86
Why Care Soliciting Works	p. 87
Care Give...So You Can Develop the Future	p. 89
Developing the Future	p. 91
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 91
Designer Genes	p. 91
Mother Nature's Chemistry Course: Female	p. 92
Mother Nature's Chemistry Course: Male	p. 93
I Gave at the Office	p. 95
The Anger Excuse	p. 95
No Time to Give	p. 96
It's Too Much Effort	p. 97
I'll Help You Lose	p. 97
It Is Expensive	p. 98
Care Giving Today	p. 99
Some of Mother Nature's Parenting Advice	p. 99
Love Me Tending, Love Me Sweet	p. 103
The Care Bear Boss	p. 105
Care Giving to Elders	p. 107
"Everyone Is a Critic," Says Mother Nature	p. 109
Community Caring	p. 111
Beautify...So You Can Pull People Toward You	p. 115
Pulling People Toward You	p. 117
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 117
Beauty Attracts	p. 117
Beauty or the Beast?	p. 119
It Shouldn't Matter	p. 119
Attractiveness Is Physical Attractiveness	p. 120
Unattractively Aware	p. 121
Beautify Today	p. 123
Your Personal Best	p. 123
Improve Your Likeability Quotient	p. 125
The Sense of Humor	p. 125
Speak UP!	p. 127
Praise-Early, Early, Early, Early Behaviorism	p. 129
Listen Well	p. 130
Broadly Attractive	p. 133
Becoming a More Attractive Mate	p. 133
Come Home for Thanksgiving	p. 136
The Magnet of Expertise	p. 138
A Beautiful Place to Work	p. 139
Beauty or the Beast	p. 141
Co-op...So You Can Get People Working Together	p. 143
Team Game	p. 145
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 145
The First Team	p. 146
Selfish Jean	p. 147
Gene Management	p. 149
Your Big Brain Is a Socialite	p. 150
Interaction: Play Ball!	p. 153
Reciprocity: The Give and Take of Cooperation	p. 154
Stimulating Cooperation	p. 161
Stimulate the Division of Labor	p. 161
Emphasizing Identity	p. 164
Play Fair	p. 168
Co-Op Today	p. 173
Commit to Cooperate	p. 173
Interdepartmental Conflict	p. 174
Reducing Marital Conflict	p. 176
Creating Coworker Cooperation	p. 178
Sibling Rivalry to Sibling Support	p. 179
Cooperate to Compete	p. 181
The Cooperative Culture	p. 183
Curious?...So You Can Stay Ahead of the Pack	p. 185
Accelerating Your Learning	p. 187
Your Evolutionary Heritage	p. 187
Your Curiosity Instinct	p. 188
Nature's Energy	p. 189
The Curious Object	p. 190
How Curiosity Works	p. 191
Becoming a Curious George/Georgette	p. 193
Alpha Up Your Arousal	p. 194
Overcoming Your Aversion Instinct	p. 197
Regulating Arousal	p. 198
Stimulating Intellectual Curiosity	p. 200
Act Curiously	p. 202
Curiosity Every Day	p. 205
Mother Kink	p. 206
The Curious Presentation	p. 209
Young at Heart	p. 210
Curious Family Fun	p. 212
Curious Conversation	p. 215
Curiosity Satisfied	p. 219
Raising Interest Rates	p. 219
Curious Criticism	p. 223
What Is the Curious Corporate Culture?	p. 225
Curiosity Shut Up!	p. 227
Conclusion: Use Your Natural Genius	p. 231
Appendix: The Life Enhancement Instinct Inventory	p. 233
Know Your Tools	p. 233
Assessing Instinctual Connection	p. 234
Review Your Evaluations	p. 236
Monitor Your Progress	p. 236
References	p. 237
Index	p. 241
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