I’m a hopeless people pleaser. I tried saying ‘no’ for a week

‘Defiance isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription,’ says psychologist Sunita Sah – here’s what happened when I gave it a whirl

Giving in to a pushy salesperson. Keeping quiet when you witness a workplace interaction that strikes you as unjust. Biting your tongue when a hairstylist declares that life is not worth living without micro-bangs. We’ve all been there. We’ve all caved in.

Thank goodness for Sunita Sah’s spirited book, Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes, which unpacks the act – and art – of refusal. The Yorkshire-raised physician, organizational psychologist and Cornell Business School professor’s manifesto is a rousing call to action – or inaction, as it may be. She has researched our inclinations to submit to others’ suggestions, expectations and orders, even when they entail putting our core beliefs and best interests on the back burner.

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