I love this concept of what you call the universal u. What we know iced is that sometimes when people are trying to make sense of really difficult, chatter provoking situations in their life, they do something that is very odd linguistically. They talk about their own experiences using the word you, but not refer to another person, but to refer to the world in general. This can be an effective tool for helping people make meaning out of negative experiences. It helps them normalize what they're going through, get om space from their experience. And it also does something that i find so cool, it draws other people into our world.
Psychology professor Ethan Kross is an expert on the science of introspection, and the role our inner voice plays in shaping our sense of well-being. While our inner voice has a lot of benefits, it can sometimes turn negative and lead to what Ethan calls “mental chatter.” In this episode, we discuss science-based strategies for how to rein in our mental chatter so we can live happier, healthier lives.
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