Your Brain Has an Inner Dictator — And It's Running Your Life | Owen Fitzpatrick

Have you ever noticed that your inner voice sounds completely certain — even when it's completely wrong? That inner voice telling you there's no hope, no way out, no point in trying — Owen Fitzpatrick calls it something more accurate: inner propaganda. Owen is a social psychologist, author, and keynote speaker who has spent decades studying how the inner voice forms beliefs, why those beliefs resist change, and what it actually takes to shift them. He has conducted field research in North Korea, Rwanda, and Afghanistan — studying the inner voice and belief in places where it gets weaponized. He has worked with Google, LinkedIn, and Pfizer. And his new book Inner Propaganda makes the case that the most dangerous inner voice isn't the one other people plant in you. It's the one you've been running on yourself. In this conversation with NLP Master Trainer Doug O'Brien, Owen breaks down exactly how your inner voice decides what feels true, why your inner voice is addicted to certainty, and what coaches, therapists, and practitioners need to understand before they ever try to change someone's beliefs. 0:00 Why your inner voice might be lying to you 4:45 How your inner voice forms beliefs — feel right, fit in, make sense 10:20 Why your inner voice can't be changed with logic 16:00 When your inner voice is just a membership fee to belong 22:30 Field research in North Korea, Rwanda and Afghanistan 29:00 How to retrain your inner voice and believe better Whether you're a coach, NLP practitioner, therapist, or someone whose inner voice has been holding them back — this episode will change how you understand the voice in your head. 🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🌐 Inner Propaganda book + free masterclass: https://innerpropaganda.com 🌐 Owen Fitzpatrick: https://owenfitzpatrick.com 📘 The User's Guide to Storytelling: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/users-guide-to-storytelling 🎓 Essential Coaching Skills Membership: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 🌐 Website: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com 📧 Newsletter: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter 🎙️ ABOUT DOUG O'BRIEN Doug O'Brien is an NLP Master Trainer, Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, and coach with over 35 years of experience. Certified by Tony Robbins and endorsed by Richard Bandler and Robert Dilts. He teaches coaches, therapists, and practitioners how to create lasting behavior change through NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis, storytelling, and nervous system-aligned coaching. 🎙️ ABOUT OWEN FITZPATRICK Owen Fitzpatrick is a social psychologist, author of nine books published in 21 languages, and one of the youngest NLP Master Trainers ever certified. He conducted field research in North Korea, Rwanda, and Afghanistan and has worked with Google, LinkedIn, and Pfizer. His new book Inner Propaganda is out August 4th, 2026. ---------------------------------- BECOME AN EXTRAORDINARY COACH!JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP NOW & Get My Six-Week Storytelling Course LIVE. https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/membership-aug2025 JOIN 3K+ READERS ON THE WEEKLY ESSENTIAL COACHING SKILLS NEWSLETTER: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/newsletters/the-essential-coaching-skills-newsletter NEED DOUG AS YOUR COACH? BOOK HERE: https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com/coaching CONNECT ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougobrien/