Why Fighter Jet Pilots Choose Their Words Carefully And You Should Too

Why Fighter Jet Pilots Choose Their Words Carefully And You Should Too

From PRODUCTIVITY by Brandon White

May 28, 2026 · 4 min · Season 1 · Episode 301

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of word choice in high-stakes situations, drawing parallels between fighter jet pilots and personal self-talk.

We're breaking down why fighter jet pilots are trained to avoid certain words in the cockpit, what the psychology says about how your brain processes thoughts, and 3 protocols to rewire the way you talk to yourself so you stop programming failure into your most imporant moments. STUDY CITATIONS Wegner, D.M., Schneider, D.J., Carter, S.R., & White, T.L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53 (1), 5–13. Make sure you hit "FOLLOW...

People in this episode

Host: Brandon White

Topics covered

  • communication
  • psychology
  • self-talk
  • performance
  • mindset

Keywords

  • fighter jet pilots
  • word choice
  • self-talk
  • psychology
  • thought suppression
  • performance protocols

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