That voice in your head isn’t all bad. Sure, it sometimes tells you you’re not good enough or that Bob from Accounting is plotting to get you fired, but your inner dialog can be your friend if you take the time to get to know it. Dr. Ethan Kross is the author of Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. A Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan and one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind, Ethan studies our internal chatter and methods we can implement to get the good stuff out of it and leave the negative stuff behind. In this most excellent conversation, Ethan and I discuss why it’s so hard to live in the present (and if that’s actually a problem), how to distinguish between rumination and obsession (Bob’s out to get me!), and how social media turns up the volume on some of the more negative aspects of chatter (damn you, Instagram!). He also shares pointers on how I can use my inner voice to improve my golf game. (Full disclosure: these actually work!) Ethan founded the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan where he teaches Psychology and Management at the Ross School of Business. His work has been featured in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and he has appeared on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Morning Edition. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he earned his BA at the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from Columbia. (Note: Dr. Kross is not affiliated with ‘90s hip-hop duo Kriss Kross.) Check out how you can invest in contemporary art on Masterworks.io! Please support our sponsor. Learn more about Ethan and Chatter - https://www.ethankross.com/ **Please rate and review Crazy Money here. E-mail Paul here. Join the Crazy Money Listeners Group hereAbout Crazy Money:Unlike traditional personal finance shows like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman, Crazy Money is not about how to make a million bucks, how to beat the market, or how to save money by switching cable providers. It is about deciding what role we want money to play in our lives and how we can use it to be our best selves. Topics covered include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, dreams, purpose, Success, Rat Race, Society, mental health, Buddhism, Stoicism, the hedonic treadmill, morality, Mid-Life Crisis, Business, Work, Careers, Authors, Books, Consumerism, Values, capitalism, economics, investing, saving, spending, personal finance, charity, philanthropy, altruism, affluence, wealth, wealth management, culture, society. Status.Crazy Money is produced and edited by Mike CaranoAre you really still reading?