Are You Mad at Me?

How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You

De: Meg Josephson

Narrado por: Meg Josephson

Includes a mindfulness meditation led by the author!

From psychotherapist and social media star Meg Josephson, a groundbreaking “cure for chronic people-pleasing” (Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author) that explores the common survival instinct called fawning and offers “explanations, comfort, and best of all, solutions” (Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author).

Are you...

- Constantly worried about what people think of you, if they like you, if they’re mad at you?

- The eldest daughter and/or the angry daughter?

- Anxious, a perfectionist, or an overachiever?

- Always overextending yourself (and then resentful)?

- Someone who avoids conflict at all costs?

- Fearful of getting into trouble or being seen as “bad”?

- Silencing your needs for the comfort and happiness of everyone else?

- Prone to overexplain or over apologize?

- Eternally obsessing over why someone texted with a period instead of an exclamation point?

Psychotherapist Meg Josephson is here to show you that people-pleasing is not a personality trait. It’s a common survival mechanism known as “fawning”: an instinct often learned in childhood to become more appealing to a perceived threat in order to feel safe. Yet many people are stuck in this way of being for their whole lives. Are You Mad at Me? weaves Josephson’s own moving story with that of fascinating client stories and thought-provoking exercises to show you how to:

- Identify all the roles you might play—from peacekeeper to performer to caretaker to lone wolf to perfectionist to chameleon—that keep you far from yourself.

- Stop fearing your thoughts and emotions, even if they’re unpleasant.

- Rethink conflict and boundaries as an opening for deeper connection.

- Practice “leaning back” in relationships.

- Recognize when people-pleasing is actually necessary (with your chaotic boss) and when it’s not (with your close friends) and stop self-loathing when you slip into old patterns.

- Shift away from the familiar chaos, anxiety, and resentment you’re used to as you move closer to yourself and a life that no longer depletes you—but brings you joy.

With Josephson’s “lucid prose and smart mix of clinical expertise, personal disclosure, and pertinent case studies” (Publishers Weekly), Are You Mad at Me? will help you shed the behaviors that are keeping you stuck in the past so that you can live in your most authentic present.

©2025 Meg Josephson (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Exactly what I needed

Stumbled onto Meg’s IG page and her content really resonated with me. Preordered the book and it’s exactly what I needed to hear right now. I’m a self-proclaimed self-help junkie but this book has been very different for me… sort of summarizing a lot of what I’ve already heard or maybe already know but packaged in a way that makes it feel very relatable and applicable to everyday real life. I’ve listened every chance I have looking forward to what comes next. Highly recommend!

A great book about the fawn response

I loved the author’s authenticity and I related to so much of her story. I especially loved the way she consolidated so much wisdom, and the mindfulness meditation at the end of the audiobook. A hopeful book for healing and self compassion.

Relatable beyond words. Every chapter is a gift.

I've been in growth mode for a few years, I read this book in two days and I feel like it sums up my entire journey in one book. I could not recommend this book enough. The content hit me to my core.

Every chapter I was like OMG, this is what I've been working on! Talk about feeling validated. AND she gives practical exercises for doing the work and examples of how to set a boundary (something I never learned how to do). I joke that this book would have saved me 5 years of therapy but in reality I know it came to me at exactly the right time. What a ride, this book will change lives.

Only read this work if you hate white males.

Great title. That was it! Another left-wing rant that increases anger and division between sexes and races. Simon and Schuster continues the trend of the “big four” to give book deals to sell them even if the entire book is worthless. Can’t wait to return this title. 🤮