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 listeners with tools to navigate and thrive in an increasingly polarized world.

Connected across geography and culture via the internet, the world is both a vast, limitless landscape and an ever-shrinking echo chamber. Communication, most notably free speech, is becoming increasingly divisive; one person’s right to speak has come into conflict with those seeking to prevent harm. Our tolerance for differing opinions 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 itself.

In this important and thought-provoking 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 concrete suggestions for how to identify and escape groupthink and transform fear into empathy, allowing space for authentic communication that reduces—rather than causes—harm to others.