Trust Your Mind

An urgent examination of self-silencing culture and the toxic impact of groupthink, by the author of Divergent Mind and founder of The Neurodiversity Project. Nerenberg empowers readers with tools to understand the mind, practice critical thinking, and navigate an increasingly polarized world, from campuses and workplaces, to the media and beyond.

Connected across geography and culture via the internet, the world is both a vast, limitless landscape and an ever-shrinking echo chamber. Communication, especially discourse over free speech, is becoming increasingly divisive; one person’s right to speak comes into conflict with another seeking to prevent harm. Our tolerance for differing opinions and viewpoint diversity is also narrowing. A “wrong” remark or comment, no matter how seemingly innocent, can result in banishment, and contradictory ideas spark hysteria and backlash—what is referred to as “cancel culture.” This polarization affects everyone of us—among friends and families, workplaces and communities—and threatens the fabric of society.

In this timely book, Jenara Nerenberg analyzes this phenomenon of “self-silencing,” asking potent questions about how harmful groupthink has become accepted. Applying her expertise in journalism, psychology, and public health, she digs deep into urgent problems that are worsening under a culture of self-censorship, including loneliness, isolation, and polarization.

But there is hope. Nerenberg offers insights for how to identify and escape groupthink and transform fear into empathy, allowing space for authentic communication and authentic expression that reduces—rather than causes—harm to others.

This essential guide for our polarized age provides a toolkit for reclaiming your own mind:

• Free Thought vs. Groupthink: Analyze the social and psychological origins of mob mentality and learn to identify the echo chambers that limit perspective in media, at work, and on campus.
• The Psychology of Self-Silencing: Understand the surprising links between self-censorship, loneliness, and depression, drawing on the author’s expertise in journalism and public health.
• Tools for Civil Discourse: Discover actionable strategies to transform fear into empathy, creating space for authentic conversations that bridge divides instead of deepening them.
• Neurodiversity and Dissent: From the author of Divergent Mind, explore why neurodivergent thinkers are often the first to spot hypocrisy and how their perspective is essential for a healthy society.