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Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26A groundbreaking book on the surprising potential of sharing more of ourselves with others, with profound impacts on our personal and professional relationships, from a celebrated Harvard Business School professor and leading expert on disclosure decisions.
Do you overshare, divulging way more personal information than a situation warrants? Or do you err on the side of silence, even when it means passing up an opportunity for making an authentic connection? We're constantly deciding how much to disclose about ourselves and what we’re thinking and feeling. The decision of how forthcoming to be can be difficult, even excruciating.
For over fifteen years, behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor Leslie John has been studying the choices we make every day—at work and at home, with our spouses, friends, colleagues, and even strangers—about how much to reveal about ourselves. A growing body of research shows we vastly underestimate the value of oversharing. Often, when an epic overshare leaves us cringing with shame, the person we’ve shared with is actually happy to have been confided in. Yet so many of us have come to see what would be beneficial disclosure as TMI.
Getting disclosure decisions right has a powerful effect on your daily happiness, your relationships, your career, and your health. Sharing more freely can improve your mental and physical wellbeing. Likewise, undersharing can deprive you of opportunities to build friendships, gain the trust and support of colleagues and employees, and maybe, even, to find a life partner.
Revealing equips readers with the awareness to make even the thorniest of disclosure decisions with aplomb. John offers the latest scientific insights about how to hone your self- and situational awareness so that in any given moment, you can make a good decision about just how much you want to share and why.
Do you overshare, divulging way more personal information than a situation warrants? Or do you err on the side of silence, even when it means passing up an opportunity for making an authentic connection? We're constantly deciding how much to disclose about ourselves and what we’re thinking and feeling. The decision of how forthcoming to be can be difficult, even excruciating.
For over fifteen years, behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor Leslie John has been studying the choices we make every day—at work and at home, with our spouses, friends, colleagues, and even strangers—about how much to reveal about ourselves. A growing body of research shows we vastly underestimate the value of oversharing. Often, when an epic overshare leaves us cringing with shame, the person we’ve shared with is actually happy to have been confided in. Yet so many of us have come to see what would be beneficial disclosure as TMI.
Getting disclosure decisions right has a powerful effect on your daily happiness, your relationships, your career, and your health. Sharing more freely can improve your mental and physical wellbeing. Likewise, undersharing can deprive you of opportunities to build friendships, gain the trust and support of colleagues and employees, and maybe, even, to find a life partner.
Revealing equips readers with the awareness to make even the thorniest of disclosure decisions with aplomb. John offers the latest scientific insights about how to hone your self- and situational awareness so that in any given moment, you can make a good decision about just how much you want to share and why.
- GenresPsychology
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 24, 2026
401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Too many books are being written on the same topics in the psychology space. Resilience. Burnout. Polarization. Happiness.
And then along comes a gem like this on self-disclosure. This topic might sound boring but you have not read the work of Leslie John. This professor knows how to tell stories, frame ideas, and introduce new concepts.
If you’re interested in an intellectual smoothie combining affective science, evolutionary psychology, an a modern take on how to win friends and infringe people, this will be your jam.
And then along comes a gem like this on self-disclosure. This topic might sound boring but you have not read the work of Leslie John. This professor knows how to tell stories, frame ideas, and introduce new concepts.
If you’re interested in an intellectual smoothie combining affective science, evolutionary psychology, an a modern take on how to win friends and infringe people, this will be your jam.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A lively, engaging, and eye-opening book, full of fascinating research, ideas, and stories! John's arguments are compelling, even gripping. What a relief to learn that my oversharing impulses are actually working for me, steering me towards closer relationships and better wellbeing. This book should have a positive impact on many people - and hopefully on our world as well.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews