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 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 persons right to speak comes into conflict with another 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 backlashwhat is referred to as cancel culture. This polarization affects everyone of usamong friends and families, workplaces and communitiesand 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 that reducesrather than causesharm to others.