DeepSummary
The episode discusses the phenomenon of 'chatter' - the negative inner voice that torments us with doubts, fears, and harsh self-criticism. Psychologist Ethan Kross explains how chatter manifests in different forms like the harsh judge, the fearful prognosticator, and the repetitive ruminator, and how it can impair performance, destabilize us, and cause anguish.
Kross shares personal experiences of dealing with chatter, such as accidentally hurting his daughter or receiving a threatening letter after a TV appearance. He also discusses research on techniques to manage chatter, including distanced self-talk (using one's name or 'you'), visualization (adopting a third-person perspective), and creating psychological distance through temporal distancing.
The episode explores the paradox of introspection and how, while chatter can be harmful, the ability to self-reflect is also essential for problem-solving, planning, and self-control. Kross highlights the importance of managing chatter rather than silencing it completely, and shares insights from his father, rituals, and various cultures on dealing with negative thoughts.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Chatter, or the negative inner voice, manifests in different forms like the harsh judge, fearful prognosticator, and repetitive ruminator.
- While chatter can cause anguish and impair performance, the ability to introspect is also essential for problem-solving and self-control.
- Techniques like distanced self-talk, visualization, and creating psychological distance can help manage chatter without silencing it completely.
- Negative emotions and chatter serve a functional purpose in moderation, signaling the need to focus and learn from mistakes.
- Cultures and individuals have developed rituals and personal philosophies to cope with negative thoughts and chatter.
- Learning to befriend and manage our inner voice, rather than silence it, is key to harnessing its benefits while mitigating its harmful effects.
- Comparison to others' curated social media personas can fuel negative chatter and diminish contentment with our own lives.
- Developing self-awareness and strategies to manage chatter is an ongoing process that can be aided by psychological research and personal experiences.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “When that negative inner voice takes hold, that is all we can hear because it is consuming our attention.“ by Ethan Kross
- “Experiencing negativity and negative emotions isn't something that we want to shy away from. Many scientists, myself included, believe that negative emotions are functional. When experienced in the right dosage, we evolve the capacity to experience shame, regret, anger, sadness. You fill in your favorite negative emotion for a reason. They prepare us for dealing with that situation that we're managing, and they often serve as cues to say, hey, you need to focus here so you don't repeat this mistake again.“ by Ethan Kross
- “The message that he conveyed to me from the time I was a little kid was, whenever something is going wrong, turn your attention inward and try to work through the situation. The way he said that to me was, you know, he'd give me this corny phrase, go inside, find the kernel of truth.“ by Ethan Kross
- “We all do it sometimes because it's easy to envy friends lives on social media when you only see the good parts. But comparison is the thief of joy, and in reality, nobody has it all together.“ by Unidentified
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Episode Information
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
7/1/24