Notes on Daniel Goleman Talk on Focus

Daniel Goleman, the author of the famous book Emotional Intelligence, gave a talk at Google last week on his new book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence. I haven't read either book, so I enjoyed learning some of the basics behind his research into focus and cognitive control.

The most surprising thing I learned was that kids who don't eat the marshmallow in the experiment demonstrate cognitive control skills (which are like willpower, active mindfulness, and conscious direction of their brain) and end up doing better on the SATs and make more money 20 years later in life, and those effects are bigger than those based on differences in family educational background or IQ.

Goleman's conclusion, thus, seems to be that skills related to focus should be taught in school.

Different types of attention
Attention we direct (top down)
Attention that seduces up (bottom up)
Endless seductions from technology (pop-ups)
Intrusions in sustained focus
Attention needs to be paid more attention to
Attention threatened in last few years
Neuroscience research into attention circuitry in brain

Floor effect
Occurs at google or Ivy League college
Wherever premium put on iq (filter)
Once u get selected by iq, then excellence defined by things other than iq

Competence modeling
When hiring someone don't look at raw resume but derive model of what competences required for specific positions by looking at the stars and seeing how they differ from the average and then look just for those competencies
Distinguishing competencies vs entry level ones

Emotional intelligence 
Self awareness
Self management
Empathy
Social skill

First two are elements of attention
Social skill is like managing self
So social skill is about attention to self

Abilities
Inner focus
Other focus
Systems focus

Performance vs stress hormones is inverted u curve
Top is state flow
Right side is amigdala hijacking
Only thing it cares about is am I safe
Rather be safe than sorry point of view so hair trigger

Cognitive control
Improved by mindfulness exercises
Marshmallow experiment
Tracked the kids 10 years later
The ones who waited had a 210 point advantage on SAT
Bigger than diff between kids of big family education difference
Cognitive control is an independent asset
Cognitive control at age 8 predicted wealth in 20 years better than iq or family education
Should be taught in schools

How to teach
Toddlers learn through modeling
Sesame Street episode where Cookie Monster waits before eating cookie
Breathing buddies exercise watching  teddy bear (training attention)
Same circuitry brain uses to manage disturbing emotions and impulse
Creates calm and focus
Stoplight: when upset red (calm down and think before act), yellow (consider all consequences), green (take it all the way)
Game where Every time breathe out tap screen and on 5th breath tap twice
Gives visual reward
Enhances cognitive control
Best way is mindfulness training developed with Meng

Other focus (second type of focus) besides inner
Knowing what's up with others
3 kinds of empathy
Cognitive: getting other's thoughts 
Emotional: getting other's feelings 
Empathic concern: inclined to help with pain, basis of compassion

Third type of focus: systems awareness
Organizational systems
Family systems
Broader systems

Anthropiscene problem 
One species is altering all others and those that support life in the wrong way
Systems of energy, transport, etc degrading systems that support life on planet
Human brain not designed to notice the problem
No perceptual apparatus to perceive this

Lifecycle assessment
Analyze footprint of processes producing products around us
Goodguide.com
Skindeep.com

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