When to Say What You Think (And When Not To) with Harvard Psychologist Steven Pinker
The High Performance Podcast29 Okt 2025

When to Say What You Think (And When Not To) with Harvard Psychologist Steven Pinker

Pre-order our brand new book Micro-Habits and use code MICROHABITS26 for 25% off before the launch on 1st January. https://hppod.co/472Og7q


What makes great communicators stand out isn’t confidence, charisma, or talent, it’s clarity.


In this episode, cognitive scientist and Harvard professor Steven Pinker joins Damian to explore the hidden psychology behind how we speak, listen, and understand one another. He explains why the real art of communication isn’t about what we say, but about how we build common knowledge, the shared understanding that allows people to think, decide, and act together.


Pinker calls it one of the most overlooked habits in high performance: the ability to step outside your own head and see the world as others do. It’s how leaders create alignment, how teams build trust, and how ideas truly land.


Together, we explore:


  • Why "everyone knows it" is completely different from "everyone knows that everyone knows it"
  • The essential habit of knowing when to make the unspoken spoken (and when not to)
  • How to use focal points to coordinate without words
  • The three types of human relationships—and why mixing them up destroys trust
  • Why blunt honesty can be just as damaging as ambiguity


Whether you're leading a team, navigating a difficult conversation, or simply trying to communicate more effectively, this episode will transform how you think about language, relationships, and coordination


Steven’s new book ‘When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…’ is out now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(668)

E50 - Neil Fachie: How to avoid getting stuck; the power of pivoting

E50 - Neil Fachie: How to avoid getting stuck; the power of pivoting

Neil Fachie is a long-standing member of the Great Britain Cycling Team. Neil is a 2012 Paralympic champion and reigning world champion and tandem kilo world record holder.A track and field athlete at...

30 Mar 202152min

E49 - Stephen Hendry: No compromise; the cost of high performance

E49 - Stephen Hendry: No compromise; the cost of high performance

Stephen Hendry dominated the game of snooker in his prime. He won the World Championship in 1990 at just 21 years of age, a record that still stands today.The Scotsman played on for a further 27 years...

28 Mar 20211h 11min

BITESIZE # 10 | Nims Purja: Excuses are for losers

BITESIZE # 10 | Nims Purja: Excuses are for losers

Nirmal "Nims" Purja, 37, stunned the mountaineering world in 2019 when he summited all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks in just six months and six days. Then in January this year Nims lead the firs...

26 Mar 20216min

E48 - Susie Ma: The power of purpose

E48 - Susie Ma: The power of purpose

Susie Ma is the founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare, one of the UK’s fastest-growing skincare brands. Few successful entrepreneurs could claim to have more of a quintessential ‘rags to riches‘ story th...

22 Mar 20211h 10min

BITESIZE # 9 | Sean Dyche: The importance of good manners

BITESIZE # 9 | Sean Dyche: The importance of good manners

We recorded this podcast with Sean at the Burnley training ground where he is the longest serving manager in the Premier League. His passion for making his players better people was epitomised by the ...

19 Mar 20217min

E47 - Evelyn Glennie: How to take responsibility, not search for blame

E47 - Evelyn Glennie: How to take responsibility, not search for blame

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the world’s premier solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest orchestras, conductors and artists. Evelyn was eight when she started to lose her hearing, and 12 ...

17 Mar 202152min

E46 - Sol Campbell: The importance of roots and wings

E46 - Sol Campbell: The importance of roots and wings

Sol made 646 appearances for five different clubs between 1992 and 2011, as well as playing 73 times for England, taking part in three World Cups and three European Championships.Sol, who began his pr...

15 Mar 20211h 7min

BITESIZE # 8 | Jonny Wilkinson: All of me in every moment

BITESIZE # 8 | Jonny Wilkinson: All of me in every moment

Happy Friday! Today’s bitesize episode is the most impactful message from the most popular episode we’ve ever done. The continued feedback we get from our conversation with Jonny Wilkinson is truly hu...

12 Mar 20216min

Populært innen Helse

fastlegen
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
psykodrama
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
leger-om-livet
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
foreldreradet
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
sovnlos
hjernesterk
helsetipspodden
rss-lopedrommen
hormonelle-frida
rss-alt-vi-haper-pa
klimaks
sinnsyn
g-punktet
rss-kull