The Chimp Paradox: The Acclaimed Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness

by Steve Peters

The purpose and agenda of the Chimp is survival. The Human’s agenda is to achieve self-fulfilment. This is usually about becoming the person you want to be and achieving the things you want to achieve. The Human will often search for the meaning of life. Many people might consider the Human as having the soul or spirit of the person. As we consider the differences between the agenda of the Chimp and the Human we will see why there is frequently a severe clash between the two beings.

Learning to understand yourself and your Chimp Choosing the Chimp or the Human In order to implement changes in your life it is important to recognise the differences between the Chimp and the Human, in terms of agendas, thinking and operating methods. Look back at situations that have happened during your day and revisit them and work out the different ways that the Chimp and Human could have handled them. Emotional or logical thinking? For example, consider a common scenario where someone may have said something that disturbed or troubled you and how you responded to it. If you later thought that your response was unhelpful, think through how the Chimp responded and then think through how the Human could have responded. Remember that the Human will choose to establish the facts and then gain perspective before reacting. Relate the way your Chimp reacted to typical Chimp operating and then consider how a Human response would have been more appropriate. Use this chapter as a reference to compare the modes of thinking. Time spent thinking The amount of time you spend reflecting on how your mind is operating, the more likely it is that you will improve your future functioning.