The Things We Don't Say
Episode · Aug 31, 2026
Hidden Brain · 50 min
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Podcast, Hidden Brain
Deborah Tannen and Emma Levine
Hosted by Shankar Vedantam
Linguist Deborah Tannen examines how differences in conversational style create unintended conflict in families, friendships and workplaces, and how greater awareness can improve communication. This release revisits an earlier interview with Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University, and adds a new Your Questions Answered segment in which Emma Levine addresses listener questions about the psychology of lying. The official episode page offers public audio, research references and a transcript, with a warning that the transcript may reflect an earlier version.