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Episode Description
Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and interviews keynote speaker and author Elaine Lin Hering about her book Unlearning Silence and the harms of feeling silenced, including resentment, depression, quiet quitting, and group catastrophes when crucial information is ignored, especially for minorities. Hering argues leadership advice to simply “speak up” misses that voice also depends on whether others honor it, and she defines silence as withholding self for others’ comfort. They discuss authenticity, the “low power double bind,” and how silence erodes a sense of self and agency. Hering distinguishes strategic silence from oppressive silence based on choice, describes self-, social-, and system-based silencing, and offers practical tools like saying “From where I sit” and clarifying decision roles (decider, consulted, informed). Both emphasize agency as the key skill that creates healthier norms and inspires voice in others.
00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched
00:28 Why Silence Hurts
01:06 Meet Elaine Lin Hering
01:49 Finding Your Real Voice
06:29 Authenticity and Becoming
10:08 The Business Case for Voice
12:32 Low Power Double Bind
16:30 Emotional Costs and Agency
22:59 Strategic Silence vs Oppression
25:16 Practical Tools to Speak Up
33:09 Self Social and System Silence
36:12 Agency as the Insider Skill
38:37 Final Thanks and Subscribe
Helpful Links:
Elaine Lin Hering, JD LinkedIn