The Things We Don't Say
Hidden Brain

The Things We Don't Say

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 31, 202650 min

From childhood, we're taught that honesty is the best policy. Yet in everyday life, we hedge, soften our words, and leave things unsaid. This week, we talk with psychologist Steven Pinker about why indirect speech is such a fundamental part of human relationships. How long can you stay focused on a task before your attention is drawn elsewhere? In our latest YouTube video, we explore what the science says about our shrinking attention spans, and how you can begin to reclaim your focus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...

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on attention and how you can begin to reclaim your ability to focus in the latest episode

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the show notes for today's episode. Okay, here's today's show.

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Hey there, Shankar here. Do you feel like you've lost your ability to focus? Do you start a task and then quickly find yourself distracted by something else? We explore the research on attention and how you can begin to reclaim your ability to focus in the latest episode on our new YouTube channel. Go to youtube.com slash at hidden brain or click the link in

0:23

the show notes for today's episode. Okay, here's today's show. This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedanta. When children are very small, their minds are often an open book. They say what they mean. They blurt out things. This can come across as both cruel and charming. The little boy laughs aloud when someone slips on a banana peel and gets hurt.

0:55

heart. The little girl tells her uncle that his face is ugly. Enhance Christian Anderson's famous folktale, The Emperor's New Clothes, a child is the only one who speaks truth to power. The king has been taken in by con men who pretend to clothe him in marvelous robes that are actually non-existent. The king's courtiers marvel

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