Mike Carruthers

Welcome.

I don't think people judge the way we think they judge us.

As I said, it's in your head.

But in those cases, in those higher stakes cases, like at work, if you're feeling like you don't belong there, that weird feeling that you get inside that you're being judged and maybe ostracized.

What are you supposed to do about it?

Because people have their prejudices, and they're going to make judgments about you and treat you differently.

That's them.

Nothing you can do about them.

So what are you supposed to do?

Well, it's an interesting topic in the sense that you've really simplified it.

You've made this a lot easier.

People get all twisted up in knots about this, and maybe we don't have to.

Well, this is one of those things that I think everyone has experienced and thought about.

Like, you know, what should I say?

Did I say the right thing?

I hope I didn't offend anybody.

And nobody ever really talks about it.

So it's good to get a perspective on it from someone who's really studied this.

I've been talking with Claude Steele.

He is a social psychologist at Stanford University and author of the book Churn.