BITESIZE #4| Robin Van Persie: How to Inspire Your Children

Welcome to our new series of short bitesize episodes, looking at stand-out moments from the podcast. 

Today’s clip comes from our chat with former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie and the advise he gave his son to take control of his life. This has been the most viewed clip in our whole archive. The guys discuss just why it rang so true. 

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In this episode, the hosts and Professor Damien Hughes discuss a widely shared clip from their podcast featuring former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie. The clip centers around Van Persie's advice to his son, Shaquille, after a disappointing soccer match.

Van Persie shared how he told Shaquille to take control of his life and stop blaming others for his shortcomings. He emphasized that winners take responsibility and look for ways to improve, while losers blame external factors. Van Persie conveyed that he loved his son unconditionally and that his success as a footballer was not the primary concern. Instead, he wanted Shaquille to grow into a good and responsible young man.

The hosts discuss why this clip resonated with so many people. They suggest that it's a conversation many wish they had at a young age and that it offers valuable insights for parents on how to raise resilient and successful children.

The conversation shifts to the importance of allowing children to experience failure and struggle as a means of building resilience. The hosts highlight the concept of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which suggests that people who are not very competent at something tend to overestimate their abilities. By contrast, those who are highly competent tend to underestimate their abilities.

The hosts emphasize the role of parents in helping children understand the reasons behind their successes and failures. They discuss how teaching children to identify the factors they can control and those they cannot helps them develop a growth mindset and the ability to overcome challenges.

The episode also addresses the relevance of the discussion to individuals without children. The hosts suggest that the principles of taking control, learning from failure, and embracing a growth mindset apply to all aspects of life, regardless of one's age or circumstances.

The episode concludes with a reminder that high performance is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. The hosts encourage listeners to adopt an open-minded approach to learning new experiences and to seek ways to enhance their performance.