Self-acceptance: The paradoxical key to personal transformation

Health psychologist and Stanford lecturer Kelly McGonigal lists two scientific studies that highlight the importance of self-acceptance in positive change

Self-acceptance is the key to personal transformation

With the help of scientific studies, Health psychologist and Stanford lecturer Kelly McGonigal explains why the self that’s really good at change is not the self of self-crtiticism or self-bashing but the self of self-acceptance. For instance, she cites a study that found that if you eat a doughnut and feel bad about eating it, you are more like to eat a whole box of doughnuts. This happens because of the way we bash ourselves up after we have let ourselves down. We feel that the self that we are can’t really be trusted. We feel worthless and hopeless and therefore go ahead and indulge more. The scientific term for this phenomenon is the What-The-Hell effect.

Kelly McGonigal then proceeds to tell you how mindfulness can help you to cope with this self-defeatist tendency and build self-trust.

About the speaker

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success. Click to read her full bio.