Why Are You Hesitant to Dissent, Defy, and Rebel Against this Shit Show?
38 Minutes of Strategies, Groundbreaking Research, and Iconic Stories
I wrote a book to help you reckon with the status quo—not just to poke at it for the sake of being contrary, but to use it as fuel for real, positive change. Inside, you’ll find a framework for understanding the psychological forces that nudge us toward conformity—and how to break free. It's not just about being different for the sake of it; it’s about using your rebellious streak as a weapon for doing things your way.
This isn’t some abstract philosophy. I give you practical strategies for dissenting effectively, forming strong alliances, and building the mental toughness required to stand your ground when the world tries to tell you who you should be.
At the end of the day, you have a responsibility—not just to yourself, but to the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and creators. To those who, instead of chasing fame or money, choose to prioritize what really matters—friends, family, purpose, and a life built on their own terms. Whatever that purpose might be.
Get ready for something cool. I converted the basics of my book, The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively into a 38-minute conversation. Why? Because I am tired of people with lofty titles and endless wealth who are still too afraid to speak up or take a stand.
I wrote a book to help you reckon with the status quo—not just to poke at it but to use it as fuel for real, positive change. Inside is a framework for understanding the psychological forces that nudge us toward self-silencing —and how to break free. It's about using your rebellious insides as armor and weaponry - to stop unwarranted, relentless attacks against innocent people who go to work, take care of their household, and merely ask for a quality of life north of neutral.
This isn’t some abstract philosophy. I give you practical strategies for dissenting effectively, forming strong alliances, and building the mental toughness required to stand your ground when the world tries to tell you who you should be.
At the end of the day, you have a responsibility— to yourself and the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and creators. To those who, instead of chasing fame or money, prioritize what fucking matters—friends, family, fun, purpose. Whatever that purpose might be.
Enjoy the weirdness of an experiment - two AI voices discussing the core themes of The Art of Insubordination:
1. The Value and Necessity of Principled Rebels
2. The Psychological Barriers to Speaking Up and Dissenting Effectively
3. Strategies for Effective and Persuasive Dissent
4. The Key Elements of Allies - From Diversity to Net Positive Energizers
5. Developing Mental Fortitude
6. Navigating the Challenges and Responsibilities of "Winning"
7. Raising Insubordinate Kids:
Enjoy! Let me know what you think.
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Todd B. Kashdan is the author of several books including The Upside of Your Dark Side (Penguin) and The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively (Avery/Penguin) and Professor of Psychology and Founder of The Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.
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Intriguing use of AI to inject some levity and mild banter to invite us into the topic and evoke insights. Might be my personal biases but to me it was lacking a sense of palpable vulnerability. The conversation seemed timed too well as if they were the same person but speaking in different voices. One immediate tell tale is with 14:30 remaining time mentioning of speaking about self in the 3rd person, “instead of saying I am frustrated you can say your name is feeling frustrated”. In an person to person interview this would naturally be filled with ‘Darren is feeling frustrated”.
Just like the raw realness of your AMA and podcasts, i want to be given the power of forgiving your lapses. Would it be strange if the AI was interviewing you instead?
As I am listening to the bots discussing being aware of our biases, I am wondering how aware is AI of its own biases and how much flexibility is built within its fabric?
I loved to be reminded of these important concepts, thank you Todd!