What is helpful about all these forms of revelation is, you know, sometimes the hardest part is just admitting to yourself this thing happened, but what's even more helpful than just, you know, releasing your secret

and so the ether is observing how another person responds to it. And that's why a conversation

with another person is often much better.

Hello and welcome to the psychology podcast.

Today's episode is sponsored by unlikely collaborators.

Their mission is to untangle the stories that hold us back as individuals, communities, nations, and humanity at large.

Using the Perception Box lens, they do this through storytelling, experiences, impact, investments, and scientific research.

Unlike the collaborators, the only way forward is inward.

Later on in this episode I'll talk a lot more about the perception box and how it relates

to this episode.

But right now let me tell you about today's guest.

Today we welcome Michael Sleppian to the show.

Michael is the Sanford C. Bernstein and co, Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics

at Columbia University, a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, he is

the leading expert on the psychology of secrets.

He's authored more than 50 articles on secrecy, truth, and deception.

Michael's research has been covered by the New York Times,

the Atlantic, NPR, BBC, the Wall Street Journal, and more. He is the author of The Secret Life of Secrets.

In this episode, I talked to Michael Slepian about the psychology of secrets.

Everyone has secrets that they keep from others, but how does this affect our relationships and well-being?

According to Michael, maintaining privacy is not the most burdensome aspect.

Carrying a secret all by ourselves is what weighs us down.

...