Speaking

My talks help the audience become more effective thinkers and doers, by helping them understand how our minds work. The talks are engaging, and filled with actionable research-based insights, which the audience can immediately start using to improve their life.

About me

I’m Dr. Itamar Shatz (Cambridge PhD). I help people learn about psychology and philosophy that have practical applications. My content is based on extensive research, using sources ranging from cutting-edge scientific papers to ancient manuscripts.

Over a million people read my writing each year. It’s linked from places like:

New York Times
Forbes
TechCrunch
Lifehacker
Harvard Business Review

Talk topics

The following are sample topics that I cover in my talks:

  • How to Change Minds. In an ideal world, simply presenting people with facts would change their minds. But, since we don’t live in that world, it’s crucial to learn the art of persuasion. This talk will help you with this, by showing you the main psychological obstacles to changing people’s minds, and the techniques that you can use to overcome these obstacles.
  • How to Think Clearly. We’re wired to make mistakes when we think—to rush, judge poorly, and choose wrong. This talk will help you understand why we’re like this, and what we can do about it. The techniques you’ll learn will be valuable in many areas of your life, and make you a better communicator and decision-maker.
  • How to Cut Through Bullshit. Every day, we’re bombarded by nonsense, lies, and manipulations from many directions. This talk will help you understand why bullshit spreads, how you can see right through it, and how you can help others avoid falling for it too. It will help you deal with the bullshit that you constantly encounter, whether it comes from social media, people you meet, or another source.
  • How to Destroy the Biases that Destroy Your Confidence. Everyone wants to be more confident in social situations, but hardly anyone knows how to really make it happen. This talk will teach you about the two cognitive biases that are crushing your confidence, and show you how to overcome them. This will boost your confidence, and make you more assertive and successful in things like presentations, negotiations, and other interactions.
  • How to (Really) Learn. It’s hard to learn—and it’s harder still to learn properly. This talk will start by showing you the main pitfalls to watch out for when trying to learn. Then, you will see some simple techniques that you can use to learn things more effectively. This will make learning more enjoyable, and will improve your ability to remember and understand what you learn.
  • How to (Finally) Stop Procrastinating. Procrastination is a common and persistent problem, with a heavy cost in the form of things like poor performance, missed opportunities, and crushing guilt. This talk will use my expertise as the author of Solving Procrastination, to help you understand why we engage in this behavior and what we can do to stop.

I also cover other topics within my areas of expertise, in applied psychology and philosophy. If you have a possibly relevant topic in mind, get in touch, even if it’s not on this list.

Get in touch

If you’re considering having me as a speaker (you should!), or would like more information, write to me now, at: shatzitamar [at] gmail [dot] com

I’m available for a range of speaking engagements, including keynotes and organizational workshops.