Delanie Fischer chats with John Wang, author of Big Asian Energy, about confidence, culture, and the power of conversation. They unpack how cultural conditioning, fear, and the desire to be "good enough” shape identity and self-worth. John shares the lessons he learned from his year-long experiment in radical honesty—during which he came clean to friends and family about past lies and committed to always speaking his mind in every interaction—and reflects on how this experience led to deeper connections and a new way of being.
Discussed in this episode:
What Is Charisma, Gravitas, and Executive Presence?
Biases, Stereotypes, Discrimination, and Coded Language
Asian American Culture and the Workplace
Fear of Conflict, Confrontation, and Avoidance
The 1 Year of Radical Honesty Experiment
7 Adaptive Patterns: Achiever, Fixer, Chameleon, Charmer, Commander, Rebel, Invisible One
The Belief Behind Your Behavior and The Fear (and Illusion) of Death
Rejection as Redirection to Alignment + Finding Community and Belonging
The Achievement Monster & How To Get off the Treadmill
Internal vs. External Validation & When Affirmations Don’t Work (Try This)
Self-Worth and Creating Your Own Metric for Success
High-Context vs. Low-Context Conversation
Self-Diminishment vs. Respecting Cultural Norms
The 6 Levels of Mitigating Language (Great for Baby Steps!)
Saying No, Giving Direct Feedback & Becoming More Assertive
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Episodes related to this topic:
“You’re So Sensitive”: Understanding Everyday Microaggressions, Implicit Bias, and Best Practices with Billie Lee & Dr. Gina Torino: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/2396d366/youre-so-sensitive-understanding-everyday-microaggressions-implicit-bias-and-best-practices-with-billie-lee-and-dr-gina-torino
How A Sexist Society Gets In Your Head (And How To Get It Out) with Kara Loewentheil: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/23318969/how-a-sexist-society-gets-in-your-head-and-how-to-get-it-out-with-kara-loewentheil
Why You Became A People-Pleaser: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/27c52c66/why-you-became-a-people-pleaser
Mortality Awareness: Meaning, Motivation, and Your To-Die-For Life with Karen Salmansohn: https://www.delaniefischer.com/selfhelplesspodcast/episode/2367345e/mortality-awareness-meaning-motivation-and-your-to-die-for-life-with-karen-salmansohn
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