#477 - Ethan Kross - How To Improve Your Inner Voice

Ian McGilchrist

Bizarrely, when you can't speak, you are in a better position than when you can't sort of feel feelings anymore.

Ian McGilchrist

The speaker mentions Ian McGilchrist's work, discussing his insights on strokes affecting different hemispheres of the brain.

one of my favorite descriptions I write about this in my book is Dan Harris, who describes his inner voice as an asshole.

Guest: Ethan Kross

Episode summary

Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind, a Professor at the University of Michigan’s Psychology Department and Director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. There will be one voice with us throughout our lives, the one that exists inside of our head. So we'd better make friends with it. Improving self-talk and creating a nicer inner-monologue is something that everyone could benefit from and thankfully that's been Ethan's life's work. Expect to learn why we have an inner voice at all, how our age and gender influences mental chatter, whether it's possible to quieten the mind, the most effective strategies for dealing with negative self-talk, how to be more objective and less lost in thought, the relationship between language and quality of life and much more...

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Ian McGilchrist

The host discusses the implications of strokes on different brain hemispheres, referencing Ian McGilchrist's work to…

Ian McGilchrist

The host briefly references Ian McGilchrist's book to highlight insights on how strokes impact different brain hemisp…

The host mentions Dan Harris to illustrate the concept of the inner voice and its negative aspects. Harris describes…

autobiography

Henry Adams

The host mentions Henry Adams' autobiography to illustrate the concept of using third-person self-talk as a tool for…

Julius Caesar

The host mentions 'Julius Caesar' in the context of discussing how historical figures have used third-person self-tal…

brain hemispheres and strokes(1)impact of brain strokes(1)inner voice and self-talk(1)self-talk and coaching(1)self-talk techniques(1)

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The conversation centers on brain hemispheres and strokes.
A second recurring theme is impact of brain strokes.
Referenced books include The Matter with Things by Ian McGilchrist and Mastering the Emissary by Ian McGilchrist.
The strongest audience signal points to Individuals interested in neuroscience and psychology and Individuals interested in neuroscience and brain health.

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Which books are mentioned in #477 - Ethan Kross - How To Improve Your Inner Voice?

The Matter with Things by Ian McGilchrist, Mastering the Emissary by Ian McGilchrist, and Dan Harris are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Passing Reference(4)Deep Dive(1)

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Individuals interested in neuroscience and psychologyIndividuals interested in neuroscience and brain healthIndividuals interested in psychology and self-improvementIndividuals interested in self-improvement and emotional regulation techniques.Individuals interested in self-improvement and psychological techniques.

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Ian McGilchrist

Best for Individuals interested in neuroscience and psychologyOften cited around impact of brain strokes

“The speaker references Ian McGilchrist's work, including this title, in relation to strokes and brain function.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: impact of brain strokes

For: Individuals interested in neuroscience and psychology

Key quote: “Bizarrely, when you can't speak, you are in a better position than when you can't sort of feel feelings anymore.”

The host discusses the implications of strokes on different brain hemispheres, referencing Ian McGilchrist's work to highlight the emotional and communicative aspects of human experience. This leads to a deeper exploration of how losing the ability to speak can sometimes be less detrimental than losing empathy and emotional connection.

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Ian McGilchrist

Best for Individuals interested in neuroscience and brain healthOften cited around brain hemispheres and strokes

“The speaker mentions Ian McGilchrist's work, discussing his insights on strokes affecting different hemispheres of the brain.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: brain hemispheres and strokes

For: Individuals interested in neuroscience and brain health

Key quote: “The speaker mentions Ian McGilchrist's work, discussing his insights on strokes affecting different hemispheres of the brain.”

The host briefly references Ian McGilchrist's book to highlight insights on how strokes impact different brain hemispheres. This mention serves to underscore the complexity of brain function and its implications for health.

Amazon search results · affiliate link

Find on Amazon

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvementOften cited around inner voice and self-talk

“Dan Harris describes his inner voice as an asshole, highlighting the negative aspects of self-talk and its impact on our lives.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: inner voice and self-talk

For: Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvement

Key quote: “one of my favorite descriptions I write about this in my book is Dan Harris, who describes his inner voice as an asshole.”

The host mentions Dan Harris to illustrate the concept of the inner voice and its negative aspects. Harris describes his inner voice as an 'asshole,' highlighting how self-criticism can dominate our thoughts and affect our well-being.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

autobiography

Henry Adams

Best for Individuals interested in self-improvement and emotional regulation techniques.Often cited around self-talk and coaching

“Henry Adams wrote his autobiography in the third person.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: self-talk and coaching

For: Individuals interested in self-improvement and emotional regulation techniques.

Key quote: “Henry Adams wrote his autobiography in the third person.”

The host mentions Henry Adams' autobiography to illustrate the concept of using third-person self-talk as a tool for emotional regulation. This reference highlights how historical figures have utilized similar techniques to navigate challenging situations.

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Julius Caesar

Best for Individuals interested in self-improvement and psychological techniques.Often cited around self-talk techniques

“Didn't Julius Caesar write a whole book in the third person?”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: self-talk techniques

For: Individuals interested in self-improvement and psychological techniques.

Key quote: “Didn't Julius Caesar write a whole book in the third person?”

The host mentions 'Julius Caesar' in the context of discussing how historical figures have used third-person self-talk as a tool for managing difficult situations. This reference serves to illustrate the long-standing nature of this technique across different contexts and individuals.

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The Matter with Things

Modern Wisdom · 38:29

Bizarrely, when you can't speak, you are in a better position than when you can't sort of feel feelings anymore.

Mastering the Emissary

Modern Wisdom · 38:29

The speaker mentions Ian McGilchrist's work, discussing his insights on strokes affecting different hemispheres of the brain.

Dan Harris

Modern Wisdom · 5:33

one of my favorite descriptions I write about this in my book is Dan Harris, who describes his inner voice as an asshole.

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Mentioned at 38:29

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Ian McGilchrist

The host discusses the implications of strokes on different brain hemispheres, referencing Ian McGilchrist's work to highlight the emotional and co…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 38:29

Find on Amazon Jump to mention

Ian McGilchrist

The host briefly references Ian McGilchrist's book to highlight insights on how strokes impact different brain hemispheres. This mention serves to…

Amazon search results · affiliate link

Mentioned at 5:33