Today is great to chat with Kristen Jarrett on the podcast, a cognitive neuroscientist by training.

Kristen is deputy editor of Psychie, a global digital magazine that illuminates the human condition.

Kristen has written about psychology and neuroscience for publications across the world,

including BBC Future, Wired, New York Magazine, New Scientist, GQ Italia, and the Guardian.

He was the founding editor and creator of the British Psychological Society's research digest,

presenter of their site crunch podcast and an award-winning journalist on the psychologist magazine.

His books include The Rough Guide to Psychology and Greatness of the Brain.

His most recent book is called Be Who You Want, Unlocking the Science of Personality Change.

Kristen, so nice to finally meet you and talk to you.

You too, Scott. Thank you for having me.

Talk to you on the podcast, I should say. We've talked on Twitter DMs.

We have, yeah, I think I wrote few many years ago when you launched the creativity post.

Wow, that wasn't lifetime ago. Yeah, I know. Yeah, so we go right back.

We do. We do. So is it true that I can be who I want?

I think within reason, you can definitely become a better version of yourself.

And you can change yourself in ways to help you live according to your values

and what matters to your most in life.

Okay, so that was my cheeky question, but I want to like back up to like your childhood for a second.

You said that when you were a child, you were characterized as too quiet by your teachers when you were when you were a teenager.

Is that right? So how did you burst out of the shell when you started university?

Yeah, my teacher reports when I was at school, they all basically said the same thing that I don't talk enough.

And I'm hiding in the shadows trying to get me to contribute more.

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