Are You Mad at Me?, Meg Josephson
Are You Mad at Me?, Meg Josephson
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Are You Mad at Me?
How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You

Author: Meg Josephson

Narrator: Meg Josephson

Unabridged: 7 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/05/2025


Synopsis

Includes a mindfulness meditation led by the author!

From psychotherapist 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? Do you overextend yourself, avoid conflict, or find yourself over-apologizing, only to feel resentful afterward?

In her “instant self-help classic” (Ada Calhoun, New York Times bestselling author), Josephson explores fawning, an instinct learned in childhood to stay safe by becoming more appealing, agreeable, and helpful to perceived threats. Over time, this instinct disconnects us from who we are, what we want, and what we prefer.

With “lucid prose and smart mix of clinical expertise, personal disclosure, and pertinent case studies” (Publishers Weekly), Are You Mad at Me? shows 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.

Josephson offers a path out of people-pleasing—transforming your relationships so you can stop focusing on what others think and start honoring your own needs. No more wondering: Are you mad at me?

About Meg Josephson

Meg Josephson, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist. In her private practice, she specializes in trauma-informed care through a compassion-focused lens. She holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, and she is a certified meditation teacher through the Nalanda Institute. Meg also shares accessible insights via her social media platforms, reaching over five hundred thousand followers.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lucy on February 17, 2025

A sacred text. This book instantly improved my life and I know I’ll be coming back to it time and time again.......more

Goodreads review by dev on May 16, 2025

For a people pleaser, the day you find out that not everyone is walking around on a daily basis worried if people are mad at them is a day your entire world is thrown off of its axis. When I found that out I was genuinely shocked — what do you mean normal people don’t hear other people talking in th......more

Goodreads review by Danni on April 10, 2025

damn this book felt like someone reached into my chest, gently untangled all the invisible threads of anxiety, and whispered, “YOU'RE NOT BROKEN YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO FEEL SAFE!" I flew through this book in one sitting. if you’ve ever spent hours spiraling over a short text, if “did I do something wr......more

Goodreads review by Sophia on July 13, 2025

I am grateful to have won a giveaway and had the opportunity to read and review the advanced readers edition of this book. Josephson articulates the common stories behind habits that can get in our own way with both gentleness and clarity. The compassion underlying every concept that she lays out ma......more

Goodreads review by Charlotte on July 31, 2025

I loved this book. I highlighted so much of it for future reference and felt like it could’ve been written for me. I was really excited to be approved for an advanced reader copy because it just felt like something I would be able to relate to and I wasn’t disappointed at all. The structure of the b......more