Seriously, how dirty is it? I’m asking because it’s a personal question and borderline insulting. And if my guess is right, it got your attention. Here’s why I need it.
I’ve been thinking about pattern interrupts and how to do them. Here are a few examples, in case you’re not familiar with this term, of what I mean by “pattern interrupt”:
1. Tony Robbins once threw water in a woman’s face. Repeatedly.
She was trying to talk through her marriage problems with Tony. But each time she started talking about her husband, she started to get negative. So Tony threw water in her face, shocked her, and got her laughing.
”What is wrong with you?” she asked each time he did it. But she stopped being negative when talking about her husband.
2. “Coffee’s for closers only.”
You might know this famous scene from Glengarry Glen Ross. Alec Baldwin comes in to give his “Always be closing” speech to a bunch of real estate salesmen… but they aren’t taking him seriously.
So when one of them goes to get a cup of coffee, Baldwin stares and says, “Put that coffee down. Coffee’s for closers only. You think I’m fucking with you? I am not fucking with you.” The salesman puts the coffee down and starts to listen.
* Shooting the apple out of the pig’s mouth.
In the first Hunger Games movie, Katniss is supposed to show off her archery skills to a bunch of rich sponsors. But she misses the target. The sponsors laugh and start chatting among themselves.
Katniss next hits a bullseye… but the sponsors aren’t paying attention any more. So she turns towards the sponsors, takes aim, and shoots an arrow through the apple stuck in a pig’s mouth in the middle of the banquet table. All the sponsors shut up and look at her.
I bet there are a bunch of different ways to create an effective pattern interrupt. The three situations above all do it. And though they might seem very different, I think they share a common element:
They cross private boundaries, whether physical or of personal sovereignty. They are intrusive, threatening, or borderline insulting.
So if you too need to get somebody’s attention, and change their set ways of thinking, try such a “personal sovereignty” pattern interrupt. Just make sure you have a good reason for doing so — otherwise you might get slapped in the face.
Anyways, since I still have your attention:
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