Sucker narratives are woven into the fabric of racial and ethnic stereotyping that stereotypes about some groups getting more than they deserve or asking for special favors. Special favors is actually a way of queuing the idea that people are trying to put one over, you're trying to get something that they don't deserve. A lot of these stereotypes which do a lot of really pernicious work in our society are rooted in the idea that you should disdain suckers and repudiate schemers it's a way of discouraging people from cooperating with others who are from different racial backgrounds or ethnic backgrounds or of different genders.
No one wants to feel like a sucker. In fact, the very thought of being one – of playing the fool – shapes our behavior in powerful ways.
But what if our fear causes us to make choices that aren’t good for us? Or worse, what if people weaponize our fear in order to dominate or disempower us?
Tess Wilkinson-Ryan has written a stunning book on the topic called, Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Our Selves and the Social Order and What We Can Do about It. A psychologist and law professor, Tess helps us understand what this fear is, why we have it, and how it plays out in law, politics, and everyday life. She also shares how to overcome it and make the decisions that are aligned with our goals.
It’s a book you’ll keep thinking about long after you’ve read it.
Episode Links
Breach is for Suckers
Transferring Trust: Reciprocity of Norms and Assignment of Contract
Moral Judgment and Moral Heuristics in Breach of Contract
Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen by Linda Heywood
The Team
Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.
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