Episode 16: Reading your Own Mind; Self-awareness, Compassion, and the Search for Truth

We sometimes see things not as they are, but as we are. Our unchecked emotional baggage and assumptions can distort how we interpret (and thus respond to) what other people say and do.  Missing other people’s signals can make bad situations even worse.

In this episode University of California Professor Clark Freshman explains the importance of self-awareness in both leadership and negotiation. (You may remember his earlier visit when he spoke about lie detection—how to tell whether someone who says “this is my final offer—take it or leave it” is bluffing or telling the truth.)

Here he touches again on that topic, but the central focus of this conversation is how failing to be honest with ourselves hobbles relationships with others. Clark shares his practical tips for deepening self-awareness, and co-host Kim Leary adds her insights from her years of practice as a clinical psychologist.

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