Most of us have a voice in our heads. On some days, it builds our confidence. On others, it tears us down.

Our inner voice is an invisible force that has a big effect on our work and our lives.

I've often been curious about this voice. What shapes it? What makes it louder? If we understood it better, could we get it to work for us, rather than against us?

Ethan Kross has spent the bulk of his career studying the power and perils of this voice. He's an award-winning psychology professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. His enlightening book on the topic is, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.

What his research reveals is that there are simple things we can do to amplify the positive aspects of our inner voice. Equally important, there are things we can do to quiet the chatter - ways we can turn down the volume on self-talk that works against us.

Episode Links

Brood X

Andrew Irving

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

Rick Ankiel

Analysis paralysis

Simone Biles

Solomon's Paradox

Fred Rogers

The Toolbox Project

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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CM 186: Ethan Kross on Changing Our Self-Talk

Curious Minds at Work