Chatter : the voice in our head and how to harness it / Ethan Kross.

First published in the United States of America in 2021 by Crown.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why we talk to ourselves -- When talking to ourselves backfires -- Zooming out -- When I become you -- The power and peril of other people -- Outside in -- Mind magic.

Acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world case studies -- from a pitcher who forgets how to pitch to a Harvard undergrad negotiating her double life as a spy -- Kross explains how these conversations shape our lives, work, and relationships. He warns that giving in to negative and disorienting self-talk -- what he calls "chatter" -- can tank our health, sink our moods, strain our social connections, and cause us to fold under pressure. But the good news is that we're already equipped with the tools we need to make our inner voice work in our favor. These tools are often hidden in plain sight -- in the words we use to think about ourselves, the technologies we embrace, the diaries we keep in our drawers, the conversations we have with our loved ones, and the cultures we create in our schools and workplaces.