AOA 040: Noise, Choice-Fullness and Monetary Control — With Guest Robert Reiher

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“You become eventually what you pay attention to.”

— Robert Reiher

How does “noise” pose a threat to our children’s futures?

On this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, Dr. Robert Reiher offers insight into the concept of “noise” and explains its relationship to cognitive development, marketing and self-control. From a background of over forty-five years of product and program development as well as Media, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Rob has integrated neuroscience, consciousness research and personal development into a strategic and practical framework for understanding how to live more Choice-Fully in a world of increasing “noise” and uncertainty.

After several years of working in the context of commercial product and program development, Rob, frustrated with the lack of concern for the integration of human developmental dimensions into product development, divorced himself from this context to shine a light on the topic of Choice-Fullness in the accelerating Culture of Noise as well as to create a new and integrated approach to self-improvement and the development of Choice-Full products and programs. Rob is the co-author of What Kids Buy and Why and Kidnapped: How Irresponsible Marketers Are Stealing the Minds of Your Children. He is currently completing the book FutureWise: The Challenge of Choice in the Culture of Noise.

Links (From the Show)

Show Notes (Find what’s most interesting to you!)

  • “The background stuff on Big Bob” [3:20]
  • The concept of “noise” and why it poses a threat to children’s futures [5:20]
  • Understanding Choice-Fullness [7:35]
  • How is noise affecting students? [8:55]
  • Understanding the bio/psycho/social triad (This section is dense but necessary.) [11:52]
  • The most important quality a person can have — cognitive control [15:38]
  • Our minds have been altered by too much external and not enough internal stimulation. [17:32]
  • Nelson Mandela and cognitive control [22:56]
  • Time design and the five types of time [25:12]
  • Setting up magical “enrichment” or e-time [27:23]
  • Interpersonal (with others) and intrapersonal (with oneself) communication skills [29:55]
  • Social media companies are knowingly rewiring our brains. [31:58]
  • Aldous Huxley’s brave new prediction [34:42]
  • Measuring new consumption patterns [36:10]
  • Cognitive control comes from training inner behaviors. [41:06]
  • The cycle of noise creates more noise. [44:04]
  • Understanding “ages and stages” using a theater metaphor [50:19]
  • Motivational interviewing to help our kids understand themselves [52:32]
  • Self-Determination Theory: the importance of autonomy, competence and relatedness [55:00]
  • We are hard-wired to relate with others. [59:01]
  • More detail on Choice-Fullness [1:00:48]
  • What money empowerment means to Rob [1:05:46]
  • Rob’s billboard message [1:06:33]
  • The importance of Ken Wilber’s Integral Psychology [1:07:06]
  • Finding Rob on the web [1:09:30]
  • Focusing on cognitive control [1:10:28]

If you liked this episode …

Interested in learning more about the relationship between time and money smarts? Self-described “time nerd” and Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Ashley Whillans discusses the importance of time affluence.

Needing more resources to protect your kids from rampant consumerism in this social media age? Josh Golin, Executive Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has many recommendations to protect children from both the obvious and subtle pitfalls of materialism and social media.

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If you like this podcast, then please give us a review and subscribe to the show. The Art of Allowance Podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Radio Public. Subscribing is free, and it will help me produce more enriching content for you to enjoy. Thanks!

You might also want to check out The Money Mammals, our program to get your children excited about money smarts when they’re young. Until next time, I wish you and your family well as you journey forth.

Thanks for listening.

John