Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It
- Downloads：7192
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-01-20 00:51:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ethan Kross
- ISBN：1785041967
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Turn your inner voice from critic to coach
As humans， we all have a special ability that is unique to our species: an inner voice。 It helps us focus， achieve our goals and reflect on life’s most joyful moments。 But it can also be our biggest enemy， chewing over painful emotions and replaying embarrassments， hijacking our thoughts to run amok with ‘chatter’。 How does this source of wisdom turn into our biggest critic？ And how can we take back control？
These are the questions one of the world’s leading experts on the conscious mind set out to answer twenty years ago， when he started on an audacious mission — to study the conversations we have with ourselves。 In this hugely anticipated book， that expert， the award-winning neuroscientist and psychologist Ethan Kross， reveals the sheer power of the inner voice， and shows us that we all possess a set of tools for harnessing it。 Hidden in plain sight， they are in the words we use and the stories we tell ourselves， in the conversations we have with our loved ones and in the habits we undertake when tackling our goals。 They are even sometimes in our bizarre rituals and lucky charms。
Fascinating， entertaining and full of original insights and tips， Chatter will change the conversations you have with yourself forever， and help you lead a happier， more productive life。
As humans， we all have a special ability that is unique to our species: an inner voice。 It helps us focus， achieve our goals and reflect on life’s most joyful moments。 But it can also be our biggest enemy， chewing over painful emotions and replaying embarrassments， hijacking our thoughts to run amok with ‘chatter’。 How does this source of wisdom turn into our biggest critic？ And how can we take back control？
These are the questions one of the world’s leading experts on the conscious mind set out to answer twenty years ago， when he started on an audacious mission — to study the conversations we have with ourselves。 In this hugely anticipated book， that expert， the award-winning neuroscientist and psychologist Ethan Kross， reveals the sheer power of the inner voice， and shows us that we all possess a set of tools for harnessing it。 Hidden in plain sight， they are in the words we use and the stories we tell ourselves， in the conversations we have with our loved ones and in the habits we undertake when tackling our goals。 They are even sometimes in our bizarre rituals and lucky charms。
Fascinating， entertaining and full of original insights and tips， Chatter will change the conversations you have with yourself forever， and help you lead a happier， more productive life。
Reviews
Kelly Kerns
，
Interesting research into what's going on in our head and why。I found the subject matter engaging， but this was never a "can't put it down" book for me。 It is very straight forward， well organized， informative and well written。I liked the part about internal distancing and the use of 2nd person language in the context of dealing with hardship。 Interesting research into what's going on in our head and why。I found the subject matter engaging， but this was never a "can't put it down" book for me。 It is very straight forward， well organized， informative and well written。I liked the part about internal distancing and the use of 2nd person language in the context of dealing with hardship。 。。。more
Candace
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Rounded up from 4。5。 Fantastic book。 It was a great addition to one of my favorite books read last year （What To Say When You Talk To Yourself）
Renee
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Listened via Audiobook。 Self help on how to control the voices in your mind。
Ngọc Hân
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Cuộc sách về tâm lý học hay nhất mình từng đọc qua。 Sách viết cực kỳ dễ hiểu， có hệ thống và đặc biệt điều mình rất thích nữa là phần dịch rất hay và mượt không bị xen lẫn quá nhiều thuật ngữ chuyên ngành。 Hơn hết sách được đầu tư rất kỹ về mặt nội dung， nghiên cứu khá chuyên sâu， bằng chứng là danh sách references của tác giả chiếm gần 1/5 cuốn sách。 Mình nghĩ không hề quá khi cho cuốn sách hẳn năm sao （ điều mình rất hiếm khi làm）
Christopher
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A very interesting review of a body of research。 The presentation felt a bit overly-edited to me， though， and that detracted from my enjoyment。 Some of the anecdotes used to ground the data felt forced or jammed in to mollify the self-help/business casual crowd。 Felt like a scientist writing what he thinks a journalist/pop-science author would write， ya know？
Imagine
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The book is great in making you realize that self chatter is common and can work for or against you。the strategies listed are easy to follow and practice。 I wish there were more examples of the various types of chatter and which strategy to use for each kind。
Salem Al-Hajeri
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Amazing。 I really liked the way the book was written in terms of how it flows。 The book discusses great tools to calm and harness our inner voice。 Really wish I knew these techniques at young age。 If you were a parent you’d probably appreciate this book。
Bill Kress
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Interesting。 Worth taking the time to read。
Heather
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Listened to this in audiobook form in multiple chunks while driving。 Lots of good strategies and interesting research topics related to calming/controlling the voice in your head。
Lauren
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While Chatter was short， it was packed with a great mix of science， advice and storytelling on how to combat your inner chatter。 This was basically what I was hoping Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions， Stop Second-Guessing， and Bring More Joy to Your Life would be and didn't end up being。I find that a lot of books like this can be chock full of filler and a concept stretched out from a blog post into a full book， but there was lots to absorb here， to the point where I thought it could hav While Chatter was short， it was packed with a great mix of science， advice and storytelling on how to combat your inner chatter。 This was basically what I was hoping Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions， Stop Second-Guessing， and Bring More Joy to Your Life would be and didn't end up being。I find that a lot of books like this can be chock full of filler and a concept stretched out from a blog post into a full book， but there was lots to absorb here， to the point where I thought it could have actually been longer。 Kross does a great job of explaining the science behind why our brains do what they do， sharing the information from various studies in an easy-to-digest way， giving tips for how to address our inner voice， then providing relevant examples of how it's been applied。The only thing that would have made this a 5-star read for me is if Kross dove deeper into the implementation of his tips。 He did a thorough job explaining the information behind it， but some points I was left thinking how much easier it is said than done and wondering how I actually go about making it a habit， so more of a focus on that would have been appreciated。I listened to this in audiobook form， but will probably buy a physical copy of the book specifically for the tools section at the end and to dog-ear the crap out of it so I can come back to it when my inner voice is driving me nuts！！ 。。。more
Savi
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Maybe I should have read this in physical print because there’s so many notes at the end。 I loved this book， and it was shorter than Libby made it seem， but it could have been a killer 30 page research paper instead :）
Ann Straight
，
Good information of decreasing the negative chatter that interferes with our success and happiness。 I have high anxiety and know that these techniques are valid。 The summary at the end serves as a good reminder of what can be beneficial。 Actively harnessing our inner voice for positive approaches to problem solving are somewhat hidden under the chaos of negative chatter。 The clearing of the chaos was my purpose in reading this book。 Easy to read， application is of course the valuable second step Good information of decreasing the negative chatter that interferes with our success and happiness。 I have high anxiety and know that these techniques are valid。 The summary at the end serves as a good reminder of what can be beneficial。 Actively harnessing our inner voice for positive approaches to problem solving are somewhat hidden under the chaos of negative chatter。 The clearing of the chaos was my purpose in reading this book。 Easy to read， application is of course the valuable second step。 。。。more
Miriam
，
This is a pretty quick read， but Kross packs a lot into it。 Full of practical， actionable guidelines on mitigating negative chatter; you can apply the research in this book directly （and immediately） to your life – for the better。
Sean D
，
A great book to curb anxiety and improve performance in high stress activities。 Each chapter does a wonderfully succinct job of driving home the author’s point。 The conclusion at the end then summarizes each point as a great reference for the future。
Emma
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This felt a little simple。 The premise is that everyone has internal dialogue and it can rule your actions and decisions。 Then follows examples and some science。 I must have dozed off during the life changing bits
Gauri A
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A very useful book ， since all of us have chatter - the cyclical negative thoughts and emotions that turn our singular capacity for introspection into a curse than a blessing 。 Coupled with the fact that the pandemic has been one of the most chatter inducing events in history 。 A compulsive rehashing of previous events （ rumination ） or angst ridden imaging of the future （ worry ）， it can make us do things that sabotage us 1。 Chatter explains why some skills fail us at absolutely let junctures - A very useful book ， since all of us have chatter - the cyclical negative thoughts and emotions that turn our singular capacity for introspection into a curse than a blessing 。 Coupled with the fact that the pandemic has been one of the most chatter inducing events in history 。 A compulsive rehashing of previous events （ rumination ） or angst ridden imaging of the future （ worry ）， it can make us do things that sabotage us 1。 Chatter explains why some skills fail us at absolutely let junctures - one of the things the inner voice does is harness attention on obstacles we encounter to the exclusion of all else 。 This helps most times except when it comes to remembering an automatic learned skill - series of individual behaviours that link together with practice 。 Chatter unlinks these complicated scripts that we have learned to execute without thinking ， by over focusing our behaviour on parts of a behaviour that only functions as sum of its parts 2。 Chatter is destructive 。 We have labour intensive executive functions that need every neutron they can get but verbal rumination concentrates them on our distress stealing neurone that could better serve elsewhere ， jamming up executive function 3。 Social media amplifies chatter 。 If we can connect with others in the immediate aftermath of a negative emotional response before allowing time to heal ， it allows our inner voice to rant from the rooftops increasingly conflict and hostility for society as a whole 4。 Combating chatter - the first step is distance 。 Can be done by temporal distancing ， imagining yourself in the future to put the current experience in perspective and provide hope 。 Using your own name or the universal pronoun ‘ you’ helps you get a third party perspective on yourself and provides distancing 。 The mind is attuned to shifting the meaning of you from one person to another so is able to distance fairly easily with this tool 。 It enables to think of the situation as a challenge than catastrophe 。 Also talking of the experience keeps it live and doesn’t help much 。 5。 Nature acts like a battery ， recharging the limited attention all reserves that the human brain possesses - attention restorative therapy 。 When we involuntarily pay attention to something like a great piece of music ， or a sunset ， or doesn’t burn the brains limited resources and can help recharge the more intense voluntary attention 。 When we feel awe ， it is a self shrinking experience ， your problems shrink as well 。 6。 Compensatory control helps - ordering the physical environment helps provide the order you seek internally 。 It gives a sense of control ， that the actions we take will have their intended effects 。 Rituals have the same effect ， as do placebos 。。。more
Christina
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I waffled between three and four stars on this one， but ultimate went with four because there are a decent number of techniques in this book I plan to use to try to decrease my own anxious chatter。There was something about the author’s writing style that didn’t really jive with me， but that’s a matter of personal taste and not a referendum on the value of the book as a whole。 This is one I’d highly recommend reading if you’re able to pick it up at the library， but I’m not sure I’d advise someone I waffled between three and four stars on this one， but ultimate went with four because there are a decent number of techniques in this book I plan to use to try to decrease my own anxious chatter。There was something about the author’s writing style that didn’t really jive with me， but that’s a matter of personal taste and not a referendum on the value of the book as a whole。 This is one I’d highly recommend reading if you’re able to pick it up at the library， but I’m not sure I’d advise someone to buy it。 。。。more
Sophie
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extremely insightful， relatable and helpful read。 i love the toolbox at the end。 i rented this from the library but may have to buy a copy to revisit in my personal library。
Algirdas Tamasauskas
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Yes， there are useful tips on how to distance yourself from the negative chatter in your head， so it’s worht looking into。 There is also some surprising research and intriguing anecdotes that will boost your fun fact list。 But there was something about the structure of the book that kept making me lose the thread。 Or maybe it was the chatter in my own head。 In any case， cannot give this one more than 2。5 stars。
Tim Gru
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Research based tools for managing your inner monologue。 3 or 4 out of 5 depending on how well they end up working， to be determined。
Laura
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This is the most helpful and practical book I have ever read。 I highly recommend this for anyone who feels overwhelmed by their inner thoughts and anyone who wants to better support the people in their life。
Elizabeth
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Good， research-based suggestions to calm spiraling anxious thoughts。
Andrew
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Will this book help your brain shaddup？ A little！ Good exercises。 But 270ish pages is a bit deceiving。 Was like 160ish on the kindle。
Sandiip
，
Pretty solid book， though content can be summarized within 25 pages。。 useful mental calming techniques - some of the techniques are overlapping and skeptical of the extrapolation of some of the lab experiments
Christine
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2/12 in 2022// Of course the concept of language and its relationship to chatter， emotions and wellbeing completely pulled me in。Notes:Chatter（neg） feeds stressHow normal social chatter and social media are intertwined Inner voice can be a libality or an assetDistancing decreases negative chatterTemporal distancing Journaling helps to distance and set the narrativeUse your own name- provides distance I talk and negative emotionTurn to different relationships for different needs of your chatterIt 2/12 in 2022// Of course the concept of language and its relationship to chatter， emotions and wellbeing completely pulled me in。Notes:Chatter（neg） feeds stressHow normal social chatter and social media are intertwined Inner voice can be a libality or an assetDistancing decreases negative chatterTemporal distancing Journaling helps to distance and set the narrativeUse your own name- provides distance I talk and negative emotionTurn to different relationships for different needs of your chatterIt gets better- videoHow critical Affectionate Touch isNature helps stop the chatter/ ruminationLook for the Awe…。This is why I am seeking out nature/ national parks/ adventure！ Completely makes sense！ Compensatory control- physical structure then helps to order mindRituals help organize chatterToolbox project for schoolsMake a board of Chatter advisors 。。。more
Renee Faught
，
More scholarly than the title might suggest。 Think， Marie Kondo for your head。 Professor Kross teaches this subject matter to aspiring psychologists and at the business school at University of Michigan。
Woods
，
This book was more practical than I expected， and I am appreciative of that。 The section on speaking to oneself in the third person was fascinating。 I echo the author's point that it is wild that as a society we're just now addressing our inner dialogues。 This book emphasizes just how important it is that we understand that we have power to address and change what is going on in our mind。 This book was more practical than I expected， and I am appreciative of that。 The section on speaking to oneself in the third person was fascinating。 I echo the author's point that it is wild that as a society we're just now addressing our inner dialogues。 This book emphasizes just how important it is that we understand that we have power to address and change what is going on in our mind。 。。。more
Brian Cluster
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Ethan Kross， an acclaimed academic and psychologist has written an excellent book on the topic most people don't want to discuss openly - your inner voice。 The truth is that your inner monologue can be very destructive if it is negative or also be a positive and inspirational factor in your life。The book provides many examples of how athletes， leaders， and regular folks have been impacted by their inner voice。 It takes learned skills and even potential therapy to quiet， manage and utilize the in Ethan Kross， an acclaimed academic and psychologist has written an excellent book on the topic most people don't want to discuss openly - your inner voice。 The truth is that your inner monologue can be very destructive if it is negative or also be a positive and inspirational factor in your life。The book provides many examples of how athletes， leaders， and regular folks have been impacted by their inner voice。 It takes learned skills and even potential therapy to quiet， manage and utilize the inner voice to your advantage。 I appreciated some of the examples that the author provides on how sports legends use physical tokens or reminders to get inspired and control their inner voice。The author finishes with a solid summary of his key strategies to undertake to take action。 I will share just two that I found extremely helpful。1） When you are facing a problem， think about it from a friend's point of view and determine how you would help them。 This gets 'you' out of the equation and you are more likely to take action。 2） Engage in mental time travel。 Think about how you will think about this current problem days， months， or years in the future。 This motivates me to stop dwelling on it and take steps to move forward。I've asked others such as pastors， friends， and others about taming the inner voice and unfortunately， they were not collectively as helpful as this book。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Alexandra Urushadze
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No-bullshit self-help content。 An engaging read with insightful research data backing it up。 Overall an amazing tool。 Highly recommended， especially for those who are struggling with various anxieties。
Led
，