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Lesson 5: Engaging in Rituals | Ethan Kross
Posted
October 13, 2025
October 13, 2025
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7:25Now PlayingThe TV drama Grey’s Anatomy chronicles the lives of a group of (fictional) doctors. One surgeon, Dr. Shepherd, conducts a ritual prior to each surgery. Every time he walks into the operating room he announces, “It’s a beautiful day to save lives,” almost as if the phrase is sacred to him.
Your job might not be quite as high stakes. But in this video lesson, psychologist Ethan Kross explains why rituals like Shepherd’s can still help you minimize the negative inner monologue known as “chatter.”
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About Ethan Kross:
Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor and bestselling author in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he studies how the conversations people have with themselves impact their health, performance, decisions and relationships.
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