Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing
by Leslie John
Mentioned 4 times across 4 shows · first heard Mar 2026 on Passion Struck with John R. Miles.
The general take
Shankar Vedantam frames Revealing as exploring the psychological benefits of opening up and sharing secrets rather than keeping them bottled up. The book apparently examines what happens when we let people in and unburden ourselves, positioning oversharing as something underrated and potentially valuable. Vedantam's tone is curious and exploratory rather than endorsing or critiquing—he's presenting Leslie John's premise as worthy of examination through listener stories and experiences.
About
“A fascinating look into why people reveal what they do about themselves—and how we can all communicate better with others.” —Arthur C. Brooks, bestselling author of From Strength to Strength A groundbreaking book on the surprising potential of revealing more of ourselves to others, from a celebrated Harvard Business School professor and expert on the psychology of personal disclosure decisions We all know the feeling: that gut-wrenching post-conversation replay, cringing at how much we just revealed. We live in fear of saying too much, so we keep our mouths shut, guard our emotions, and lock away our most personal thoughts. But what if we’ve been worrying about the wrong thing? A growing body of research shows we vastly underestimate the value of sharing more than we think we should, with our spouses, friends, colleagues, and even strangers.
Who said what
Dax Shepard👍 Recommends
…leslie john's book on the benefits of vulnerability and oversharing in relationships
“She has a great book out called Revealing the Underrated Power of Oversharing. And this is an incredibly interesting conversation about parasocial relationships.”
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard — Leslie John (on the power of oversharing)at 00:17
Shankar Vedantam👍 Recommends
…introducing psychologist leslie john and her book about disclosure and oversharing
“Leslie John is a psychologist at Harvard University and the author of Revealing, the underrated power of oversharing. We talked with her on two recent episodes of the show. They were titled Keeping Secrets and Coming Clean. Today, Leslie returns to the show to respond to listener comments and stories about the costs of keeping secrets.”
Hidden Brain — The Cowboy Philosopherat 57:54- MR
Mel Robbins👍 Recommends
…introducing the guest and her published research on disclosure and vulnerability
“She is the author of the bestselling book, Revealing, the Underrated Power of Oversharing, which completely changed how I think about silence, vulnerability, and the things we don't say.”
The Mel Robbins Podcast — Harvard Business School Professor: This One Research Study Will Change Your Life and Careerat 04:30 
John R. Miles👍 Recommends
…previewing next episode featuring book about authenticity and revealing oneself
“Next, we continue Life Beyond the Script with Leslie John, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School. We discuss her new book, Revealing, and what it takes to show up honestly in a world that often rewards performance over authenticity.”
Passion Struck with John R. Miles — Joan Lunden: Reinvention, Identity, & Life Beyond the Script | EP 736at 51:58
Listener reviews
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