The Most Important Number You've Never Heard Of

What is Your Sigma Quotient and Why it Matters

Suppose I were speaking to the captured audiences of thought leaders in Neuroscience, Organisational Psychology and Behavioural Psychology, Philosophy or perhaps even Spirituality and Metaphysics—this is how I would explain Sigma Quotient: Easily the most important number you have not heard of, yet.

Here follows what I would say to:

• Adam Grant’s Audience: Empowering Human Potential Through Growth (Behavioural Psychology & Leadership)

• Andrew Huberman’s Audience: A Neuroscientific Path to Autonomy (Neuroscience)

• Subscribers of Jung: Individuation and Mastery of the Self (Psychology)

• Alan Watts’ Audience: Embracing Paradox and True Sovereignty (Spiritual Philosophy & Metaphysics)

• Seneca’s Audience: Resilience, Discernment and Personal Agency (Philosophy)

What if your potential—your ability to reason, to explore, to wonder—could be measured and grown? How would that change your perspective on your own capabilities or sense of empowerment, and ultimately the meaning of Life?

Adam Grant

Adam Grant is a leading organizational psychologist whose bestselling books, TED Talks and popular podcasts have made him a major influence on workplace culture and leadership. He champions generosity, creativity, and challenging assumptions to drive meaningful change in work and life.

Empowering Human Potential Through Growth (Behavioural Psychology & Leadership)

• Sigma Quotient is a new kind of metric that focuses not on your IQ or EQ, but on your ability to truly harness your energy, attention, and autonomy. It measures how effectively you align your choices with your deepest values while resisting the pressures of conformity and societal expectations.

• Much like Adam Grant’s emphasis on challenging the status quo and rethinking what we take for granted, the Sigma Quotient highlights the merit of auditing our beliefs and the possibility and perhaps even responsibility we have to cultivate true autonomy and grow in our ability to lead a meaningful, self-determined life.

• Sigma Quotient can grow, and it can be impaired based on how we invest the measure we have. It’s about expanding the bandwidth of our potential by aligning our actions with authenticity and purpose.

• A person, a team, or even an organisation has a Sigma Quotient.

Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University known for translating cutting-edge brain research into practical advice for optimizing health and performance. His podcast, “Huberman Lab,” has made him highly influential, offering science-based tools on sleep, stress, focus, and fitness to millions of listeners worldwide.

A Neuroscientific Path to Autonomy (Neuroscience)

• Sigma Quotient is a concept grounded in both neurophysiological and psychological principles.

• It is an emergent measure of how effectively you apply your mental energy, focus, and autonomy to navigate the complex demands of life.

• For those interested in optimizing their mind and body, Sigma Quotient reflects where you are in terms of your capacity to manage your mind and behaviours effectively.

• The key idea is that the Sigma Quotient is a latent potential waiting to be understood and grown. It is a number that grows or diminishes based on how we apply our existing resources of focus and autonomy.

Carl Jung

Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. He is best known for concepts like the collective unconscious, archetypes, and individuation, which explore the deep layers of the psyche and the shared symbols that influence human behaviour. His work laid the foundation for understanding personality types, spiritual growth, and the symbolic meaning in dreams, making him a key figure in both psychology and broader cultural studies.

Individuation and Mastery of the Self

• The Sigma Quotient is deeply aligned with Carl Jung’s notion of individuation. It measures the degree to which you have taken ownership of your psychological processes, moving beyond unconscious conditioning towards conscious self-determination.

• Sigma Quotient reflects how effectively you can align with your true self, cultivating both authenticity and sovereignty. It helps you disentangle your own voice from the collective noise, guiding you towards deeper self-knowledge and personal fulfilment.

• Understanding and enhancing your Sigma Quotient supports your journey towards individuation, helping you see where your latent potential lies and how you can align more deeply with your true self. 

Alan Watts

Alan Watts was a British philosopher and speaker known for popularizing Eastern philosophy in the West, particularly Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. His talks and books, full of wit and insight, offered a fresh perspective on living authentically, embracing the present, and understanding the nature of self beyond societal illusions.

Embracing Paradox and True Sovereignty

• Sigma Quotient offers a way to navigate the complexities of existence while embracing both the rational and the mysterious aspects of life.

• Alan Watts often spoke of the tension between trying to control life and learning to flow with it. The Sigma Quotient acknowledges this paradox: it is a measure of how well you balance disciplined action with the wisdom to surrender. It is about cultivating a sense of sovereignty that goes beyond rigid self-control; instead, it integrates deep presence, intuition, and authentic expression.

• Alan Watts often emphasized that the true art of living is less about right or wrong decisions and more about skilfulness—how well we adapt to and flow with the conditions of life as they arise. In this way, Sigma Quotient is not a rigid standard of perfection but a reflection of your capacity for skilful living, integrating presence, intuition, and authentic expression.

• Recognizing your Sigma Quotient allows you to better navigate life’s inherent uncertainties—living with greater presence, alignment, and a sense of true sovereignty.

Seneca

Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and playwright whose writings focus on practical wisdom, resilience, and the pursuit of virtue. Known for his essays and letters, Seneca emphasized the importance of inner tranquillity, ethical conduct, and finding freedom by mastering one’s desires and reactions to life's challenges.

Resilience, Discernment and Personal Agency (Philosophy)

• Sigma Quotient is a concept that embodies the essence of Stoic philosophy as Seneca taught it—focusing on what lies within our control and cultivating resilience against what does not.

• It is a new idea of a metric that already exists, that measures how well we harness our energy, attention, and autonomy, and how effectively we align our actions with our core values amidst life's uncertainties.

• For Seneca's audience, the Sigma Quotient serves as an emergent measure of personal sovereignty, reflecting how well one can and does embody the Stoic ideals of wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation.

• Much like Stoicism, awareness of Sigma Quotient implies the ability to grow in our capacity to face challenges with equanimity, expand our ability to live authentically, and develop mastery over our own minds.

Introducing the Idea of Sigma Quotient

SIGMA QUOTIENT (ΣQ or σQ) is the sum total of our ‘sum total’, unlike IQ it is a capacity we can develop and deepen, by how we invest what we already have, and which everyone has an innate source/wellspring of within us.

It is our Genius, our Charisma—it is what produces true lasting resilience, self-mastery and the sense of self-stewardship and self-mastery that we aim for via martial arts and stoicism.

It is the single most important factor for a human that is growth-minded and intent on actualisation and integrating real attainment.

Can I grow my Sigma Quotient?

Yes! You can...

…but it takes a few key things:

• Psychological ‘Adulthood’;

• Awareness of how your thoughts, beliefs, your ‘story’ are being decided for you;

• Learning to discern what you can and cannot change;

• Learning how to debug the code you inherited;

• Learning and practising how to edit the story you are living; and

• Learning and practising how to write a new one that honours your sovereignty, unlocks your genius and deepens your journey.

People with a low Sigma Quotient:

• Are easily caught by the algorithm and other systems of control;

• Allow binge-watching, doom-scrolling and political drama to capture them;

• Struggle with their vices and the shame that goes with that;

• Are drawn into conspiracy theories, get-rich-quick schemes, ‘life-hacks’ and sensationalist trends;

• Are anxious, struggle to be present, and feel overwhelmed by the ups and downs of their life; and

• Jump from one solution to the next, and get lost in recursive thoughts and rumination.

People with a high Sigma Quotient:

• Are aware of the systems of control and influence which they in relationship with;

• Manage their budgets of Energy and Attention wisely.

• Keep their consciousness and energy streams clear and ‘well-boundaried’;

• Live in alignment with their authenticity and integrity;

• Have a sense of authenticity and presence that is attractive and hard to ignore; and

• Can keep their composure and perspective in emotionally challenging situations.

7 Questions you can reflect on:

1. If Energy and Attention are budgets, how well am I investing them? (We are what we repeatedly Choose to be.)

2. When was the last time I questioned a deeply held belief and felt a shift in my understanding?

3. How certain am I that the goals I am pursuing are actually leading to a sense of true meaning and fulfilment?

4. Do I, or am I even able to, consciously manage my energy to enhance mental resilience and performance?

5. To what extent am I making conscious choices versus following inherited conditioning?

6. Are my beliefs really my own, or did I inherit them from childhood or social media?

7. How well do I know the symbolic language of my own psyche, and how can it guide my personal growth?

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Sigma Quotient is a new idea I am playing with. Ideas like this have the potential to be game-changers, based on how YOU interact with them!

So, I would love to hear YOUR thoughts. Please share, like and discuss!