Bountifull Podcast | S3 E12: Saying No: Dr. Sunita Sah on Defiance, Compliance, and the Psychology of Approval

Saying No: Dr. Sunita Sah on Defiance, Compliance, and the Psychology of Approval

What if defiance wasn’t a flaw, but a skill? In this episode, Dr. Sunita Sah—physician, behavioural scientist, and author of Defy—shares how reclaiming agency and redefining what it means to say “no” can change the trajectory of our lives. Raised to equate goodness with compliance, Sunita’s journey is a powerful reminder that being agreeable often comes at a cost: to our integrity, our well-being, and our sense of self.

We explore the psychology behind why we say yes when we mean no, the invisible social pressures that shape our decisions, and why discomfort is a sign—not of weakness, but of wisdom. Sunita offers a practical five-stage framework for living in alignment with your values, and explains how simple tools like pausing before responding or speaking to yourself in the third person can help you make braver, truer choices.

This conversation is a compassionate guide for people-pleasers, quiet rebels, and anyone who has ever struggled to hold their ground. A bountiful life, as Sunita reveals, isn’t lived without tension—it’s one where that tension is honoured, examined, and transformed into something meaningful.

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