Welcome to episode #982 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.
Ethan Kross is one of the sharpest minds on the planet when it comes to understanding how our emotions shape our thoughts, decisions, and relationships. As a professor of psychology and business at the University of Michigan and the author of the bestselling books Chatter and Shift - Managing Your Emotions - So They Don’t Manage You, Ethan brings together rigorous research and practical insight in ways that are deeply human and immediately useful. In our conversation, we explore what it takes to manage emotions in a world that feels like it’s dialed up to 11 - from doomscrolling and overstimulation to the growing cultural obsession with emotional transparency. Ethan challenges some of our most common assumptions about how emotions work (no, avoidance isn’t always bad; yes, anger has a place) and makes the case for building a “diverse emotional toolkit” - strategies that are flexible, personal, and context-specific. We talk about the influence of technology, how AI might fit into the future of mental wellness, and why dosing your news intake might be as important as getting your steps in. For anyone feeling like their emotions are a little closer to the surface these days, Ethan offers not just understanding - but agency. Enjoy the conversation...
Chapters:
(00:00) - Understanding Emotional Turbulence. (03:06) - The Toolbox of Emotion Management. (06:00) - The Misconception of Emotions. (09:00) - Collective Emotional Breakdown? (11:51) - The Role of Media in Emotional Perception. (14:45) - The Balance of Technology and Emotion. (18:06) - Navigating Emotional Overstimulation. (27:09) - Dosing the News for Better Wellbeing. (30:40) - Navigating Social Media and Emotional Health. (31:10) - Understanding Emotions and Meta-Emotions. (34:44) - The Shift from Self-Talk to Emotional Regulation. (38:00) - AI's Role in Emotional Management. (43:06) - Balancing Emotion Management and High Performance. (46:38) - Tools for Managing Emotions in Different Situations. (49:53) - The Power of Combining Emotional Tools.
