In her new book A More Just Future, award-winning psychologist Dolly Chugh recounts how she went from seeing the Little House on the Prairie books as enchanting tales of American family life to recognizing the series’ “whitewashing” of US history—and confronting the psychological discomfort that this recognition entailed. On this week’s episode, Dolly joins Melanie to talk about the book, which is a guide to unlearning the one-sided history most people in the United States have been taught; broadening our perspectives; and navigating a way forward that amplifies underrepresented voices and works to undo the damage wrought on the marginalized. They discuss why it’s so important that we learn a fuller and more truthful version of our history; how to grapple with the shame, guilt, disbelief, and resistance many of us feel when we recognize and address the injustices in our flawed systems; and how to work toward a more just future without shame or judgment. Dolly Chugh is a Harvard-educated social psychologist at the NYU Stern School of Business. An expert researcher in the psychology of good people, in 2018, she delivered the popular TED talk “How to let go of being a ‘good’ person—and become a better person,” which was one of the 25 Most Popular TED Talks of 2018 and currently has almost 5 million views. Dolly’s book A More Just Future is available to preorder now and will be published on October 18. Her first book is The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. To learn more about her, subscribe to her newsletter, Dear Good People, and visit DollyChugh.com. Melanie and Dolly refer to the television series This Is Us, and Dolly mentions Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Follow Just Beings on social media:

This episode was edited by Andrew Sims. Photo of Dolly Chugh © Jeannie Ashton

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