The Pernicious Stereotype of a Gold Digger

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I used to teach a course on wills and trusts this is a course that's basically about how you distribute property after somebody has died so either by their will or so kind of a trust or they have some kind of an estate that's being distributed without paperwork in a standard wills and trusts casebook. I would often have to stop in class and sort of make sure that the conversation didn't get overly sort of presumptuous about what was going on here i had to point out these facts in part because of this underlying sexism about particularly about the sort of role of women in these kinds of marriages it was so easy to overlay these stories with narratives about sort of conniving women, says

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. Support the Podcast If you like the show, please rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you subscribe, and tell a friend or family member about the show. Subscribe Click here and then scroll down to see a sample of sites where you can subscribe.