How to talk back to the voice that hates you

Whenever I feel anxious or down, a voice in my head speaks with complete authority. It tells me I'm a fraud, that I'm broken, that nothing I do matters. I call it the inner dictator, and I have named him Dick.

Inner propaganda is how we convince ourselves of the ideas we hold. The stories we sell to ourselves become the beliefs we buy into, and the inner dictator is the voice that sells the darkest of them with total certainty.

In this episode of Inner Propaganda, I explore why recognizing the inner dictator weakens its hold, drawing on the persuasion knowledge model and my own experiences of propaganda in North Korea. I then go through the most common lines Dick uses on me, from "You're a freak" to "The world is so full of pain," and share how I talk back to each one.

What you will discover:

Why naming the inner dictator makes its messages less convincing How the change of meaning principle works inside your own mind Why your mood decides which evidence feels like proof Simple questions that expose the vague claims behind self-doubt How to judge a thought by its usefulness rather than its accuracy If you enjoyed this episode, check out my brand-new book, Inner Propaganda, where I explore how the stories we are sold by leaders, the media, and our own minds shape what we believe. Drawing on field research and stories from across history, it offers practical ways to take back control of your own narrative.

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