The As If Principle: The Radically New Approach to Changing Your Life

I found this book a worthy read. It presents a new light into what truly influences our behavior. I was surprised. I do like that the information is backed by evidence based studies., and not just someone’s opinion.

I'm not so certain "As If" Principle is The Radically New Approach to Changing Your Life, as claimed by title. The "As If" principle is a conceptualized aspect of pedagogy, one of many natural forms of human acculturation i.e. learning to be a human being. Building on the AA notion; "the head follows the feet," with the author wisely saying on surface level, but in no way cops out on providing substance.In fact, the writer went in a more valued direct by not going scientific, with the principal of "As If." Frequently mentioned in modern, neuro-cognitive anthropological pieces, utilizing the metamorphic term "As If" to capture deep, genetic based, interpersonal process and bidirectional communications, have been generating volumes of neuroscientific support and detailed explications for qualities such as Cognitive Resonance, Empathic Attunement, Sensed Envisioning, and Perceptual Attentiveness, are all considered essential "As If" aspects. This book covers each complex cognitive schemata, in an easy fashion.

If you are like me, a devout personal development kind of guy or gal you will be able to see quickly if a product is another person who thinks just because they are passionate and excited and can persuade means they are a great coach or performance psychologist. Being persuasive is only one piece of effectiveness. On the flip side there are those with great theories. Typically, and I'm sorry for you Pile It Higher types...you know who you are. Long on theory, short on action. These are those people who wouldn't last a day in the real world. Academics....some of my best friends are academics!  Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work Then, there is someone like Richard Wiseman. Willing to start off pretty much dissing both sides and giving a third path if you will. Easier, simpler, and ultimately very effectively practical. Fills in the blanks and "may be" the missing piece for you. Let me end with...I am using this stuff!!! It is working. Thus endeth the sermon...

Behaviour creates and alters thoughts, emotions, feelings - and on the long run changes the identity, thought patterns and habits for good.After many decades and thousands of experiments, it seems like the As If principle was right there all along, while psychologists and psychiatrists missed it, or used it by accident.Now it seems like the first unifying theory that can be quickly and effectively applied among a wide range of topics such as depression, willpower, anxiety and phobias.I would recommend this book to all people interested in the fields of psychology, but even many hours and years of practice still feel that there's something missing.

Most people are under the impression that they can think to themselves... "I am a positive person" --- and then they will start to feel like a positive person, that so-called "positive thinking" will help them stop berating themselves and others. This assumption is common but flawed. As it turns out - repetitive action works better than repetitive thinking. You can't think yourself out of negative acting - but as this book points out - you can act yourself out of negative thinking. Everyday, if you get up, get dressed, exercise, groom yourself, eat a good breakfast, show gratitude to your family and co-workers, avoid substance abuse, etc...you will, over time, start to FEEL different. You will become the upbeat, positive being that you are impersonating. What starts out as imitation becomes reality. This book holds the key to making any big change in your life.

I loved his 59 Seconds books:useful, funny, and to the point. Here he tries to tease out what would pass as a chapter in one of those books and turns it into a 245 pager. Good intentions, weak results. His Big Idea:If want a quality , act as if you already have it. His As If theory states that your actions drive your emotions(you smile and you feel happy), as opposed to the emotions driving the actions(you feel happy, thus you smile). If we train our minds this way, we can transform ourselves into what we want to become. He cites some studies that confirm the obvious(how a person dresses creates an image) and those you adopt power poses feel more powerful and notes Zimbardo's prison experiments which fit into the As If mindset. Like I said, an interesting and useful idea, but not worth $25 and hours of reading.

There's the proven idea that if you change your brain, it changes your body. This book will convince you that the opposite is also true: If you physically act a particular way (confident, worry-free, etc.), your brain will follow your lead, and you'll actually BECOME more confident, worry-free, etc.Turns out that "Fake it till you make it" isn't a ridiculous cliche--it happens to be true. Decades ago, even William James realized its truth, but only now is this idea getting its deserved recognition. And Richard Wiseman presents it to us in a pleasing, easy-to-read book.

Why would anyone give this book a low review? The content is powerful, with the potential to free you from almost any phobia or anxiety, backed up by psychology and science. Give it a shot. Yes the reading is not smooth sailing and it gets a bit tedious but youre missing the point. You want smooth reading go read a novel.

Most of us have been raised on the idea that if we change the way we think, we will change the way we feel, and that can be harder than it looks, especially to those who are seeking to develop mental or physical health strategies to overhaul bad mental habits. The suggestion in this book is that actually altering your behaviour will cause a shift in your perspective/thoughts and you will feel differently because you are behaving differently. The writer ensures he gives a sound scientifically theoretical background as it's an idea that would be otherwise easy to scoff at given our greater familiarity with the 'change your thinking, change your behaviour' . The book proves its ideas, then you are encouraged to actively give it a go throughout. I put aside my feelings of self consciousness and did just that. It felt odd, a bit fraudulent at first, but then anyone who genuinely needs to change themselves to live stronger, happier lives would try most 'cures' I think, so why not this! Tap into your amateur dramatics, it's fun to do, causes no harm and as simple as it is obvious...it works!

Very fast delivery - excellent item - good price

I had already read most of this book when it was published under the name 'Rip it up', so I was disappointed that this was not new material. However, it is a very interesting and useful perspective which is of great practical application to my work as a hypnotherapist. The thesis, which is backed up with loads of research, is that changing your physical behaviour changes the way you think and feel. eg If you smile you feel better (even if you don't know you're smiling!). If you stand up straight you feel more confident etc. We tend to assume that it's the other way round.

I have read this book last year. It's easy reading in one sit only. There are many interesting informations and practical principle that we can apply immediately.I bought all of his books after I read this one.Really love it.Highly recommend !

Right book with heavy content.