TED Talks Daily Do you talk to yourself? Here’s how to harness your inner voice | Ethan Kross (re-release)
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Mar 9, 2026 
Ethan Kross, psychologist and neuroscientist who studies self-talk and directs the Emotion and Self-Control Lab at the University of Michigan, explores the inner voice. He explains what “chatter” is and when it hijacks thinking. He outlines practical tools like distanced self-talk, choosing supportive listeners, and using awe to quiet unhelpful loops.
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Inner Voice Is A Cognitive Superpower
- Inner voice is a cognitive tool that keeps information active and lets us simulate and plan using silent language.
- Ethan Kross explains it helps short-term tasks like grocery lists and rehearsal before presentations, keeping details active in mind.
Chatter Traps Us In Negative Thought Loops
- Chatter is the dark side of the inner voice that traps people in negative loops, impairing problem solving and self-talk.
- Kross defines signs: getting stuck without progress and incessant self-berating like "I'm an idiot".
Chatter Steals Cognitive Bandwidth
- Chatter consumes attention and undermines cognition, leaving little capacity for tasks like reading comprehension.
- Kross describes the experience of reading pages yet remembering nothing as evidence of chatter's performance cost.