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

by Steve Peters

The Chimp is fast to reach a conclusion and doesn’t wait for all of the information to come through before reaching its conclusion. The Chimp forms an opinion based on its feelings and impressions and then fixes its opinion. It then searches out evidence to back up its opinion and prove its point.

Anxiety typically occurs when you don’t make a decision. It is a perfectly natural response from your Chimp showing that it is healthy. The answer therefore is to make a decision or reassure the Chimp!

drives. A drive is something that compels us to get up and do something. If we didn’t have drives we would just sit around and do nothing. Drives fulfil needs that we have, both physical and emotional.

If you were going to exercise a real chimpanzee you would take it to a fenced compound and let it loose. You wouldn’t take it to your local supermarket and let it off the chain! Don’t exercise your Chimp in the supermarket!

Where did the idea that life is fair or SHOULD be fair come from?

So the difference between ‘Truths’ and ‘Values’ is that ‘Truths’ are evidence-based, whereas ‘Values’ are personal judgement calls.