The CIA method for making quick decisions under stress | Andrew Bustamante
May 8, 2025
1,550,498
55,727
2,300
3.74%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Big Think Episodes Around May 8, 2025
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
12:30Now PlayingThe CIA method for making quick decisions under stress | Andrew Bustamante
Chapters
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelBecome a Big Think member to unlock expert classes, premium print issues, exclusive events and more“The very same time that’s making you anxious is actually your most valuable asset. You can always create more energy and more moneybut you can never create more time.”
Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ►
Up next, Former CIA agentThe truth about manipulation ►
What if the path out of overwhelm was less about doing more and more about doing less—intentionally? In a world saturated with distractions, decisions, and demands, the CIA’s covert approach to multitasking offers a surprising lesson for the rest of us.
Former spy Andrew Bustamante unpacks how operatives in high-risk, high-stakes environments manage overwhelming complexity—not through superhuman ability, but by mastering one surprisingly simple principle: do the next fastest thing.
Read the video transcript ►
Want to learn more from Andy?
Find your Spy Superpower
PreOrder Shadow Cell
Follow Andy on YouTube
Explore Spy School
Join the podcast
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go Deeper with Big Think:
►Become a Big Think Member
Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more.
►Get Big Think+ for Business
Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Andrew Bustamante:
Andrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer and decorated US Air Force combat veteran. In 2017, he founded EverydaySpy.com, the first digital platform teaching real-world intelligence techniques to everyday people. Drawing from his 20 years running human and technical operations globally, Bustamante empowers individuals to break social, financial, and cultural barriers using proven spy skills. He's a Fortune 10 corporate advisor, cybersecurity expert, and author of "Everyday Espionage: Winning the Workplace and Social Game."
Links & Promotions
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.









