The Person You Mean to Be

How Good People Fight Bias

By: Dolly Chugh

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani, Dolly Chugh, Laszlo Bock

Foreword by Laszlo Bock, the bestselling author of Work Rules! and former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google.

An inspiring guide from Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.

Many of us believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion. But how do we stand up for those values in our turbulent world? The Person You Mean to Be is the smart, ""semi-bold"" person’s guide to fighting for what you believe in.

Dolly reveals the surprising causes of inequality, grounded in the ""psychology of good people"". Using her research findings in unconscious bias as well as work across psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and other disciplines, she offers practical tools to respectfully and effectively talk politics with family, to be a better colleague to people who don’t look like you, and to avoid being a well-intentioned barrier to equality. Being the person we mean to be starts with a look at ourselves.

She argues that the only way to be on the right side of history is to be a good-ish— rather than good—person. Good-ish people are always growing. Second, she helps you find your ""ordinary privilege""—the part of your everyday identity you take for granted, such as race for a white person, sexual orientation for a straight person, gender for a man, or education for a college graduate. This part of your identity may bring blind spots, but it is your best tool for influencing change. Third, Dolly introduces the psychological reasons that make it hard for us to see the bias in and around us. She leads you from willful ignorance to willful awareness. Finally, she guides you on how, when, and whom, to engage (and not engage) in your workplaces, homes, and communities. Her science-based approach is a method any of us can put to use in all parts of our life.

Whether you are a long-time activist or new to the fight, you can start from where you are. Through the compelling stories Dolly shares and the surprising science she reports, Dolly guides each of us closer to being the person we mean to be.

Woke yet?

Brian Stevenson says it's time for Americans to deal with the Race Issue and hopefully one day put it behind us.

Valuably insightful

I recommend this book to anyone who seeks to promote the general welfare of all people. It includes relatable, thought provoking stories. I learned a lot from having read it and listened to the audible version.[

Wonderfully explains feelings I have and I have work to do

As a black man I've felt all kinds of things inside that I couldn't actually articulate until I read this book.

The book is well organized and breaks down how to think about bias and allyship. Packed with science, humor, and stories it delivers amazing content.

Dolly's humor and willingness to share her bad moments really halp this book land.

If you think you have room for improvement when it comes to bias (Spoiler: we all do). I highly recommend this book.

An educational read worthy of your time

Other than the derogatory comments about the President of the United States of America. this book has an enlightening way of realizing one’s shortfalls when it comes to being the person you mean to be. I liked the positive actions it recommended to make a difference in our current environments. Applicable today!

The Person You Mean to Be

Listening to The Person You Mean To Be was eye opening for me. As a Black woman I ready for the non Woke people get it like yesterday. However, this book educated me that there 60% of the people that are sitting on the fence need a voice of reason and patience.