Radical Self-Care in a World Built on White Norms (with Dr. Jonathan M. Lassiter)

Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

Sony Music

Science, Self-improvement, Comedy, Education, Society & Culture

4.9 • 21.5K Ratings

🗓️ 12 November 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Woke Mind Virus? How about the Whiteness Mindset! JVN welcomes psychologist and author Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter to dig into his new book, How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories, and explore how a “whiteness mindset” shows up in everyday life. We talk about what it is, who exhibits it, how it drives control and denial, feeds our collective stress, and why naming it is the first step toward healing. From suppressing emotions to the lack of representation in mental health, Dr. Lassiter offers practical ways to care for ourselves and each other. We get into news hygiene (don’t doomscroll first thing!), how celebrity culture can hijack important conversations, and what living under chronic threat does to the body and brain. Whether you’re unpacking your own conditioning, supporting someone you love, or just trying to stay human in a loud news cycle, this episode gives you tools to regulate, relate, and repair. Full Getting Better Video Episodes now available on YouTube. Follow Dr. Jonathan Matthias Lassiter on Instagram @lassiterhealth Follow Getting Better on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jvn Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support: Chad Hall Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey Better Babes, it's Jonathan Van Ness, and welcome back to Getting Better. We've all heard about the
0:04.7	woke mind virus. Well, honey, it's not the woke mind virus. It's the whiteness mindset virus.
0:12.2	Whiteness is more than a racial construct. It's literally a mindset. And it's a mindset that's related
0:18.2	to the patriarchy, racism, transphobia, homophobia, abelism. And it's a mindset that's related to the patriarchy, racism, transphobia, homophobia, abelism,
0:24.1	and it's generally not cool.
0:27.0	And I think the source of so much of the pain that we're facing collectively is a culture.
0:31.7	Our guest this week, Dr. Jonathan Matthias Lasseter, and his new book,
0:35.4	which is How I Know White People Are Crazy and
0:38.1	other stories, is the perfect person to help us figure out what the white mindset is in
0:43.2	2025, how we can fight against it, and what we can do to take better care of ourselves and each
0:48.5	other in such a perilous time. Today, we're going to dig into news diets, our nervous systems, chronic threat, and
0:55.5	centering a hopeful mindset. And yes, we're getting into his new book on whiteness as a mindset
1:00.3	and why naming it can help everybody heal. P.S., if you fall in love with Dr. Lasseter and you want
1:05.3	a totally different taste for our Patreon episode, get into this one because it's French Kitty
1:10.1	Corner on Gay Joy. So we had a lot of fun there. So if you want that, get over on our Patreon. In the meantime, let's get to our episode. Dr. Lassiter, welcome to getting better. How are you? I'm great. Thank you so much for having me. I have to tell you, I was minding my own business. And then I think I saw
1:27.6	press release for your book and your book title stopped me in my tracks. And I said, I've got to
1:32.6	get the doctor on the pod. How I know white people are crazy and other stories. What a good title.
1:41.0	And honey, I align. Like, having been one myself, we are really white people. We really
1:50.4	need to talk. Things have gotten out of hand. We need to come back to this conversation.
1:56.1	And I'm just so grateful for you and for your work. And thank you for coming on the pod in all
1:59.9	seriousness. No, thank you. So one thing for your work, and thank you for coming on the pod in all seriousness.
2:01.5	No, thank you.
	...

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