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The Power of Prime

The cluttered mind uncluttered.
by Jim Taylor, Ph.D.
Jim Taylor, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. He works in performance psychology. See full bio

The Power of Prime

December 13, 2009

Psychology of Technology: Online Communities: The Kindness of Strangers

For those of you who follow my Psychology of Technology blog posts (especially here and here), you know that I'm a bit cynical about how technology is impacting us, particularly when it comes to how we define relationships. My worries aren't so great that I'm looking to wipe out our communications grid with an electromagnetic pulse or anything like that (Instant Quiz: Can you tell me what long-cancelled television show was based on that premise and who starred in it?), but the ways in which new media have changed our ability to establish relationships have me concerned. Read More

December 9, 2009

Sports: Tiger Woods: The Price of Infidelity

In the last 15 years alone, there has been Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Jude Law, Eliot Spitzer, Kobe Bryant, Mark Sanford, Alex Rodriguez, David Letterman, the list goes on. Now, it's déjà vu all over again. Another successful man caught with his paws in the honey jar (pun intended). But not just any man. We're talking about Tiger Woods, the wealthiest and most famous athlete on Earth. According to reports, we are now up to seven alleged mistresses. That image of Tiger as a humble, honorable family man has not only been tarnished, but now lays smashed in far too many pieces to ever be reassembled again. The price that will be paid for Tiger's infidelity is enormous. Read More

December 8, 2009

Parenting: Raise Compassionate Children

Compassion is a word that is bandied around often these days as a "value du jour" in our big-talk, little-action culture of values. Yet, as with most values that are co-opted for a particular agenda, compassion has lost its fundamental meaning and value to people. Thus, the importance of compassion in our lives is not fully appreciated nor is it often expressed in our daily lives.

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December 8, 2009

Popular Culture: We Are What We Consume

In a recent blog post, I railed against popular culture as being an unhealthy force in our lives . In response, Dr. Lawrence Rubin, a fellow blogger who studies popular culture, commented that "If we simply consider popular culture as banality, it certainly seems meaningless...even potentially destructive. However, if instead we recognize that it is simply an expression of our collective experiences, its importance becomes more clear." I would have agreed with that statement 30 years ago when popular culture was, in fact, an expression of our collective experiences. But I think it's time for those who study popular culture to wake up and smell the Starbuck's (popular-culture reference intended): popular culture is not popular! Read More

December 2, 2009

Sports: What Makes the Great Ones Great?

So what do Tom Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt, Annika Sorenstam, Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong, and Lisa Leslie have that you don't? This question has been on the minds of many people of late with the recent publication of Malclom Gladwell's Outliers and Daniel Coyle's The Talent Code. Read More

December 2, 2009

Popular Culture: The Salahis and the Great Gatsby

Let me apologize in advance; I just can't help myself. The more I read about reality TV, the more it just gets under my skin and the less control I have over writing about it. Reality TV is my whipping boy. Read More

December 1, 2009

Parenting: Stop That Runaway Train!

You're under tremendous pressure these days to give your children every opportunity and advantage. Whether piano lessons at age four or being a part of a traveling soccer team at age eight, you feel compelled by popular culture (and other parents in your community) to get your kids on the fast track as soon as possible, otherwise,as you are led to believe, they're going to be left behind and you will permanently stunt their development. Unfortunately, being seduced by these messages only makes everyone in your family miserable. You feel like you've lost control of your family. Both you and your kids are overscheduled and stressed out. You feel terrible because you're not being the "perfect parent." And your family has no time to enjoy each other. Read More

November 19, 2009

Parenting: Do You Want a Gifted or Hard-working Child?

Giftedness is revered in our culture; inborn talent-whether intellectual, athletic, or artistic-ensures that children will be successful. How many times have you heard "Tiger Woods was born to play golf" or "Sarah Chang was destined to be a brilliant violinist"? Well, let me clear something up: No one is born to do anything, certainly not to swing a golf club or play a violin. The only thing that can be reasonably said is that some children are born with certain abilities that can help them excel at a particular activity. However, giftedness is no guarantee of success; the world is full of gifted failures. Yet so many parents hope beyond hope that their children are gifted. Read More

November 19, 2009

Sports: Prime Confidence

Prime confidence is a deep, lasting, and resilient belief in your ability to achieve your goals. Prime confidence keeps you positive, motivated, intense, focused, and emotionally in control when you need it most. With prime confidence, you're able to stay confident even when you're not performing well (it happens to even the best athletes periodically). You're not negative and uncertain in difficult competitions nor overconfident in easy competitions. It also encourages you to seek out pressure situations and to view difficult conditions and tough opponents as challenges to pursue. Ultimately, prime confidence enables you to perform at your highest level consistently. Read More

November 16, 2009

Politics: Is Civility Dead?

Is civility dead? It sure seems so. In recent years, the quality of discourse in America has declined dramatically. Rarely in discussions of any import these days, whether politics, religion, the economy, education, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the list goes on, is there a respectful exchange of ideas. Instead, such interactions are either one-sided or full of ad hominem attacks or self-serving misinformation. Read More

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Books by Jim Taylor, Ph.D.

Image of Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child
Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child
Image of Your Children Are Under Attack
Your Children Are Under Attack
Image of The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training (Ultrafit Multisport Training)
The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training (Ultrafit Multisport Training)

Sport and Competition Basics

From schoolyard chants to Super Bowl championships, playful competition finds its way into nearly all aspects of culture. Fighting to win draws on cooperation, concentration, coordination, and creativity--things worth striving for in their own right. That's why sports are more than just fun and games.

Go to the Sport and Competition Basics page for more on Sport and Competition including:
  • Athletic Performance
  • Determination
  • Competition Off the Field
  • Sportsmanship
  • Visualization
  • The Great Ones
Go to Sport and Competition Basics

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