The Alter Ego Effect summary

A famous author was struggling to overcome writer’s block. Every time he sat in front of the computer, he would stare at the blinking cursor and hear that little voice in his head: You can’t do this. You can’t do this. He felt trapped. 

When you find yourself in a similar situation of being stuck in a rut or doubting your abilities, you need a quick solution. 

Think about what happens when you have to give a presentation at work. Do you ace it? Or do you develop a stutter and sweaty palms? 

When it’s your time to shine, performance anxiety can often take over. But before you can improve your performance, you need to recognize situations where you tend to struggle. 

Amy is an entrepreneur. For a long time, she struggled with finishing projects. She repeatedly told herself she was “a nonstarter” and “inconsistent.” This became a self-fulfilling prophecy – time and time again, she failed to bring projects to completion. It was only when she discovered the concept of the alter ego that she realized she could change her story.

Here’s the key message: Try to understand the stories you’ve been telling yourself, as well as your deeper motivations.

Having total self-control is hard enough. But what if you also need to have absolute control over another creature? 

This was the challenge Lisa faced. She competed in dressage, an equestrian sport, and would become extremely anxious during competitions. Unfortunately, her horse was quick to pick up on her nervousness. To improve her performance, Lisa needed to regain control of her horse – and herself.

It’s 1940 – a critical moment in world history as countries are dragged into the second major war in a generation. It’s an especially challenging moment for Winston Churchill, who is about to become prime minister of Great Britain. As he prepares to travel to London to accept the job, he looks at his collection of hats and asks himself, Which Self should I be today?

The mind can turn any object into a symbol. For Churchill, each hat represented a different self. A pair of glasses could have a similar symbolism. For a celebrity, wearing glasses might represent the switch from public life to personal life, while for another person glasses could symbolize intelligence, confidence, or eloquence. Symbolism is personal.

In every action movie there’s a moment when the hero is close to defeat. For instance, Rocky is about to lose the fight when . . . bang! At the last minute, he knocks out his opponent. 

But we all know that real life isn’t like the movies. When you’re at your lowest, it’s hard to fight back. So how can you keep moving forward, even during a moment of weakness?

One day in 1955, a young woman walked through the streets of New York. No one noticed her; she was just another face in the crowd. Then she turned to the photographer following her and asked, “Do you want to see her?” The woman took off her coat, fluffed up her curly hair, and struck a pose. Within seconds, crowds of people were swarming toward her. This was the moment Norma Jean transformed into her alter ego, Marilyn Monroe.

Like Norma Jean, you can have fun with your alter ego, choosing the moments when you want to perform.