Leslie John

Mentioned 14 times across 2 podcasts this week

This Week's Pulse

Harvard Business School professor Leslie John spent this past week across the podcast circuit, appearing on Mel Robbins, Harvard Thinking, and Hidden Brain to promote her research on the mechanics of secrets and the psychological utility of oversharing.

On Hidden Brain, host Shankar Vedantam leaned into the counterintuitive nature of her work, noting, "When we overshare with the wrong person, it can be embarrassing. But at Harvard University, Leslie John says not sharing anything at all could be worse."

The reception has been uniformly positive, with Shankar Vedantam positioning her as the definitive authority on the subject. He introduced her by saying, "Leslie is the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. Today, she joins us for listeners' questions and stories about what happens when we let another person in."

While there is no dissent regarding the validity of her research, the conversation is shifting toward practical application. Leslie John continues to frame disclosure as a strategic tool rather than a mere emotional release, a nuance that will likely remain central to her media tour as she continues to field questions about the boundary between healthy vulnerability and social risk.

Where it's discussed

The Empathy Gym

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Power of Vulnerability and Disclosure”

A psychologist and author who discusses the research behind the benefits of revealing secrets and being vulnerable.

“Leslie is the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. Today, she joins us for listeners' questions and stories about what happens when we let another person in and unburden ourselves of our secrets. Leslie John, welcome back to Hidden Brain.”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Dynamics of Vulnerability and Disclosure”

Expert discussing the mechanics of vulnerability and the importance of recognizing the gesture of disclosure.

“This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. When we overshare with the wrong person, it can be embarrassing. But at Harvard University, Leslie John says not sharing anything at all could be worse.”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Power of Vulnerable Disclosure”

A psychologist and author who discusses the benefits of vulnerability and disclosure in relationships.

“Leslie John is a psychologist at Harvard University. She's the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. Leslie, thank you so much for joining me today on Hidden Brain.”

Leslie Johnneutralfrom “Navigating Self-Disclosure and Bragging in the Workplace”

Discusses the social pitfalls of humble bragging and the importance of context when self-promoting.

“Yeah. It can be hard because you don't wanna make your loved ones and friend ones feel badly. You don't want to spark envy, right? You don't want them to feel jealous. And so oftentimes then what we end up doing is we end up just, like, not sharing the thing, …”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Risks and Strategies of Self-Disclosure”

A psychologist and author who provides expert analysis on the dynamics of self-disclosure.

“This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Leslie John is a psychologist at Harvard University. She's the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. Leslie, we've been talking today about self-disclosure of secrets that are often painful or emb…”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Power of Shared Experience in Disclosure”

Discusses the importance of validation in sensitive disclosures and shares personal experience regarding ballet training.

“So Leslie, I'm struck by the contrast between Jeremy's different experiences of sharing his secret, and I'm also struck by the fact that he received the most support from other people who had been through what he went through. Have you studied the power that s…”

Leslie Johnneutralfrom “The Dynamics of Disclosure and Reciprocity”

Discusses the concept of TLI and the psychological benefits of reciprocity in disclosure.

“Yeah. It's too little information. I mean, we're culturally obsessed with TMI, with oversharing, and yes, TMI is a thing, but oh, we've paid so little attention to TLI, too little information. And the more I study and experience it, the more I think TLI is pro…”

Shankar Vedantamneutralfrom “The Dynamics of Vulnerability and Disclosure”

Expert guest discussing the psychological implications of vulnerability and manipulation.

“So Leslie, it looks like Janet was punished for being vulnerable in disclosing something that happened to her in the past. How should we think of these moments when we put ourselves out there and the other person has a negative or awkward reaction to our discl…”

The Cowboy Philosopher

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Psychology of Secrets and Disclosure”

A psychologist at Harvard University and author who researches disclosure dilemmas.

“I learned that statistic from Leslie John. She's a psychologist at Harvard University and the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing.”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Power of Self-Disclosure in Relationships”

A psychologist who researches the impact of self-disclosure and oversharing on personal relationships.

“Leslie John is a psychologist at Harvard University. She's the author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. Leslie, thank you so much for joining me today on Hidden Brain.”

Shankar Vedantamneutralfrom “The Burden of Secrets”

Researcher who explores the impact of secrets on relationships and mental health.

“Leslie John at Harvard University has found that it can harm our physical and mental health and damage our relationships.”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Psychology of Secrets and Disclosure”

A psychologist at Harvard University who studies the science of secrets and self-disclosure.

“[gentle music] This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Leslie John is a psychologist at Harvard University. She studies the science of secrets and self-disclosure, how much we share of ourselves, and the benefits and costs of doing so.”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Psychological Burden of Secrets and Faith”

An expert guest who provides insights on the psychological impact of secrets and the importance of emotional intimacy.

“Her book is titled Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing. So Leslie, we talked earlier about how families or even nations of people can carry collective secrets, and often this happens not through explicit discussion, but via the more subtle norms of …”

Shankar Vedantampositivefrom “The Psychology of Secrets and Disclosure”

An expert discussing the benefits of disclosure flexibility and the bonding nature of shared secrets.

“Oh, this is such an important point. Um, exact- so the point isn't we should always share more. Um, in fact, the people that reveal the most wisely, the best revealers, are the people that have the most disclosure flexibility. What that means is they have the …”