Coming Clean
Hidden Brain
Feb 09
Coming Clean
Coming Clean

Hidden Brain
Feb 09
Shownote
Shownote
Last week, we talked with psychologist Leslie John
[https://www.lesliekjohn.com/] about the costs of keeping secrets. Today, Leslie
returns with a look at the psychological power of self-disclosure. She says the
moments of oversharing that we often consider "TMI" can actually strengthen our
relationships. Then, in the second half of the show, listeners share their
thoughts and questions about the expectations we put on modern marriages.
Psychologist Eli Finkel
[https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/faculty/finkel_eli/]
returns for the latest installment of our series "Your Questions Answered."
Our next stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour are just weeks away! Join Shankar for
an evening of science and storytelling in Philadelphia on March 21
[https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/tickets-and-events/ensemble-arts-philly-presents/hidden-brain-perceptions-tour]
or New York City on March 25
[https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0300635CCCC30F08]. He’ll be sharing seven
key psychological insights from his first decade hosting the show. And stayed
tuned for more tour stops to be announced later this spring!
If you missed our original conversation with Eli Finkel, you can find it here
[https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reimaginingourrelationships/]. And here's
where you can check out his podcast, "Love Factually."
[https://www.lovefactuallypod.com/]
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Highlights
Highlights
This episode dives into the surprising benefits of vulnerability—how sharing our messy, imperfect truths can forge deeper bonds—and then shifts to the evolving landscape of modern marriage, where soaring expectations meet real-world complexities.
Chapters
Chapters
Why Telling Your Embarrassing Truths Feels So Good
00:00How Saying 'I Messed Up' Makes People Trust You More
17:24What Happens When Marriage Is Expected to Be Everything?
36:50Can Merging Bank Accounts Save Your Relationship?
1:02:50Why Some Couples Choose to Live Apart—But Stay Deeply Connected
1:19:38Is Monogamy the Only Path to Lasting Love?
1:25:52How Parenthood Can Break—and Then Rebuild—Your Marriage
1:32:16Transcript
Transcript
Shankar Vedantam: This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Growing up, I attended a Jesuit high school. I noticed that every weekend, my Catholic classmates and their families would line up and confess their sins to a priest. Some of those priests were ...