The Person You Mean to Be Book Summary - The Person You Mean to Be Book explained in key points
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The Person You Mean to Be summary

Dolly Chugh

How Good People Fight Bias

4 (144 ratings)
20 mins

Brief summary

"The Person You Mean to Be" by Dolly Chugh is a thought-provoking book on how to tackle our implicit biases and create a more inclusive world. It offers practical tools and insights to help us become better people and leaders, both at home and in the workplace.

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    The Person You Mean to Be
    Summary of 8 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 8

    Having a growth mindset means being willing to learn, but prejudices are hard to overcome.

    When you’re deciding whether or not to do something, do you prefer to stick with the familiar or are you open to exploring new things?

    For documentary filmmaker Perrin Chiles, new things offer an exciting challenge. In the early 2000s, when Chiles was preparing for his next film, he chose the subject of autism, even though he had little first-hand knowledge of the subject. This attitude is a perfect example of what’s known as growth mindset, as it shows a willingness to learn new things. Having a growth mindset can lead to amazing things, and yet, many people have the opposite attitude, known as a fixed mindset.

    For example, someone has a fixed mindset if they believe they’re terrible at drawing and would never take an art class. They believe people are either good or bad at something, and no class will ever change that. Someone with growth mindset, however, may admit that their drawing skills are weak now, but acknowledge that with practice and effort their stick figure can one day become a realistic portrait. In other words, those with a growth mentality know that they can improve, and take advantage of opportunities to do so.

    For Chiles, his film on autism was an opportunity to learn about people who are different from him. And as ideas coming from a growth mindset often do, it led to great things. In this case, a wonderful documentary called Autism: The Musical. Released in 2007, the film touched millions of people and made significant strides in opening people’s eyes to the realities of autism.

    Unfortunately, not everyone is as open-minded as Chiles. Often, fixed mindsets can lead to stubborn prejudices that prevent people from exploring new things. This narrow-mindedness is especially true of Hollywood. If an extraterrestrial being were to make assumptions about human beings based strictly on Hollywood movies, they would likely think that nearly everyone is a straight, white male with no physical disabilities.

    In an overview of the highest-grossing films in recent years, only 27 percent of the speaking roles were female. As for the top films of 2015, 48 of them didn’t contain a single black actor in a speaking role. What’s more, only 4 percent of Hollywood’s new movies are directed by women.

    The following blinks explore why built-in prejudices like those found in Hollywood are so difficult to overcome.

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    What is The Person You Mean to Be about?

    The Person You Mean to Be (2018) offers an accessible guide to the complex world of unconscious biases. Unconscious biases are the assumptions and associations we all have about people who are of a different gender, race, sexual orientation or class than we are. Author Dolly Chugh explains how these unconscious biases work and what we can do to overcome them.

    The Person You Mean to Be Review

    The Person You Mean to Be (2018) by Dolly Chugh is an insightful book that challenges readers to explore their own biases and become more inclusive individuals. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • It offers thought-provoking perspectives and practical strategies to help readers navigate and confront their unconscious biases.
    • Through engaging stories and relatable examples, it sheds light on the impact that our individual actions can have on creating a more inclusive society.
    • With its accessible tone and empowering message, it ensures that readers feel motivated rather than overwhelmed in their journey toward becoming better versions of themselves.

    Best quote from The Person You Mean to Be

    Our behavior seems most prone to our implicit biases when we are under great time pressure or stress.

    —Dolly Chugh
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    Who should read The Person You Mean to Be?

    • Students of human behavior and gender studies
    • Anyone who thinks they aren’t prejudiced
    • People who want to be more open-minded

    About the Author

    Dr. Dolly Chugh is a psychologist with a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. Since earning her degree, she’s worked as a social psychologist at New York University and is an expert on the study of unconscious biases.

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    The Person You Mean to Be FAQs 

    What is the main message of The Person You Mean to Be?

    The main message of The Person You Mean to Be is how to live a more ethical and inclusive life.

    How long does it take to read The Person You Mean to Be?

    The reading time for The Person You Mean to Be varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is The Person You Mean to Be a good book? Is it worth reading?

    The Person You Mean to Be is a valuable read. It offers guidance on how to navigate difficult conversations and become a more compassionate person.

    Who is the author of The Person You Mean to Be?

    The author of The Person You Mean to Be is Dolly Chugh.

    What to read after The Person You Mean to Be?

    If you're wondering what to read next after The Person You Mean to Be, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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