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10% Happier with Dan Harris

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Why You Say Yes When You Shouldn't — And How To Say No When It Matters Most | Dr. Sunita Sah

Aug 4, 2025 · 1h 11m

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About this episode

A conversation with a Cornell professor who is attempting to rebrand the concept of defiance. Dr. Sunita Sah started her career as a physician but then switched over to organizational psychology. At Cornell, she conducts research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. She is the author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes. In this episode we talk about: How Dr. Sah defines defiance The costs of compliance The five stages of defiance How to make defiance a practice The upside of tension The importance of knowing your values — how to articulate them, and how this relates to our biology, specifically our hormones The gender components of defiance Join Dan's online…