Staying True to You, Patricia Faison Hewlin, PhD
Staying True to You, Patricia Faison Hewlin, PhD
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Staying True to You
Unlock the Power of Your Middle Self and Live with Confidence, Integrity, and Peace of Mind

Author: Patricia Faison Hewlin, PhD

Narrator: Patricia Faison Hewlin, PhD

Unabridged: TBD

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 08/25/2026


Synopsis

An award-winning behavioral scientist offers a paradigm-shifting, empowering playbook for staying rooted and thriving as our true selves.

"Just be yourself” is popular advice that most of us hear throughout our lives. But what sounds like simple wisdom is much more complex in today’s world. All too often, we feel a gap between our private selves and how we behave and appear to others in our work and in our relationships. How can we avoid feeling “fake?” And how do we reconcile our instinctive need for belonging with our simultaneous desire to express our authenticity?   

Behavioral scientist Dr. Patricia Hewlin explores the delicate dance between authenticity and conformity we navigate daily by drawing from her decades of research. As she uncovers, the pressure to be “real” can be as debilitating as the pressure to stay silent and conform. When we swing too far in either direction, we become drained, plagued by self-doubt, and disengaged. 

In Staying True to You, Hewlin introduces the breakthrough concept of the “middle self,” and demonstrates how this in-between persona can allow us to show up in the world, no matter the situation, with confidence and clarity about our values, and peace of mind. When we empower our “middle self,” we can make thoughtful decisions, stop feeding toxic patterns, face demands and pressures head-on, and build a more satisfying relationship with the world around us.

With practical strategies throughout, Staying True to You is an essential roadmap to guide you toward identifying your unique strengths and finding a path to a new, more deliberate, more empowered way of working and interacting with others—essentially a new way of living.

About The Author

Dr. Patricia Faison Hewlin is an award-winning behavioral scientist with 20+ years of experience researching authenticity and conformity around the world. Currently a Professor of Social-Organizational Psychology at the Teachers College of Columbia, Dr. Hewlin holds her PhD in organizational behavior and MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Her work has been featured in mainstream media, including the Huffington Post, The Times, Harvard Business Review Online, and Globe and Mail. In addition to her research and teaching, Dr. Hewlin is also a professional consultant who works with major companies, as well as arts organizations.


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Quotes

“A revealing look at how we can stop putting on facades and start living by our principles. Patricia Hewlin is one of the world’s foremost experts on authenticity, and in this book she shares powerful evidence and practical advice on balancing our desires for freedom and community.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking

Staying True to You is a wise and profoundly human guide to resolving the very real tensions between authenticity and conformity that so many of us feel. Drawing on rigorous scholarship and vivid stories from work and everyday life, Pat Hewlin offers a compelling, practical framework—the Middle Self—that provides a roadmap to honoring your values, strengthening your relationships, and finding a sustainable sense of wholeness at work and beyond.”
—Amy C. Edmondson, author of Right Kind of Wrong

"Staying True to You is mind-expanding in the most meaningful way. Dr. Patricia Hewlin's "middle self" offers a breakthrough framework for navigating the complexities of modern life. With fascinating research, compelling stories, and actionable insights, this is essential reading for anyone seeking clarity and alignment in their lives and careers."
—Dolly Chugh, author of The Person You Mean to Be

"We learn early in life that hiding parts of ourselves keeps us safe, and this habit follows us into our workplaces and relationships. Hewlin shows how to break that pattern and live more authentically without losing the people who matter. A welcome corrective to the usual advice."
—Judson Brewer MD PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety

"Patricia Hewlin offers evidence-based guidance for navigating the tension between your competing desires to be authentic and to fit in. This wise, practical book will help you find your path with integrity and confidence.”
—Katy Milkman, author of How To Change

“The words ‘authenticity’ and ‘conformity’ get thrown around so often it’s hard to know what they even mean anymore. This book sets the record straight. A much-needed guide on coming to know yourself, leading with your values, and being effective across different settings. I highly recommend it.”
—Brad Stulberg, New York Times bestselling author of The Way of Excellence

"For anyone who feels disconnected from who they are, especially in the workplace, Dr. Hewlin compassionately teaches us how to manage the daily balancing act while staying true to ourselves…this book helps readers find the hidden realm of ‘accessible authenticity’."
—Dr. Ramani Durvasula, New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not You

"In detailing the delicate balance between conformity and authenticity, Pat Hewlin had found the perfect middle between science and story, experiments and experience. And by identifying the inarticulable dilemmas we face daily, Staying True to Yourself offers transformative insights and mindful pathways towards greater self-clarity and more rewarding connections. This captivating book has changed the way I teach, I lead, I live."
—Adam Galinsky, author of INSPIRE

"A wise and timely exploration of what it really means to stay true to yourself. Patricia Hewlin moves beyond simplistic notions of authenticity and offers a powerful framework for navigating the tension between belonging and self-expression with clarity and integrity.”
—Herminia Ibarra, author of Working Identity