Our communicative access to one another has expanded considerably in the digital era. Along with it, so has our ability to reach into the lives of others and influence them with compassion, inquiry, solidarity and unfortunately, animosity, cruelty and distrust. In 2007, Özlem Cekic became the first female Muslim to win a seat in Danish Parliament and experienced this venom firsthand. After a friend encouraged her to reach out to the authors of her hate mail, she took on the project of sharing “dialogue coffee” and coming to share conversational space with these previously-faceless aggressors. In September of 2018 she shared her experience on the TED stage and this week we welcome Lee Ann Song to unpack Özlem’s insights. How does the act of conversation disarm initial charges of rancor? Why do many shift with palpable discomfort when considering said aggressors as equal or as human? Can others help us overcome internal flames of hatred?
Episode 248: "I Can See Right Through You"
In our posturing and jockeying to project an image of ourselves to others, are facades and efforts are sometimes clearly perceived. In these moments, our authenticity is questioned and social conflicts can emerge. But what does this idea, captured in the remark “I can see right through you,” reflect about our nature? Are we so used to falsehoods that even truths unintentionally-revealed become a source of clashes? Are personal truths as meaningful, powerful or valuable when they’re brought to light involuntarily by others?
Episode 247: More Baths and Fewer Showers
With the advent of modern plumbing, many depictions of bathrooms now feature standing showers. At a bare minimum, it’s common to have a bathtub with an added shower nozzle. Could the distinction between bathing and showering offer a practical metaphor for different approaches to the dirt and disorder of existence? What associations do we have with bathing - the luxurious imagery of some baths and the concerns of “stewing” in others - that we don’t find in showers? Ultimately, what do rapid and convenient methods of waste-disposal do for our understanding of the waste we produce as individuals and societies?
Episode 246: The Questions They Let You Ask
Curiosity has long been a defining trait of our show and of the human species. Probing questions and persistent explorations are crucial in every field from astronomy to history. But between individuals, the trait isn’t always so welcome. This week, we welcome Dan Farina to explore the questions our culture tends (or tends not) to permit. Why are some topics off the table? What do we gain or lose in disregarding them for discussion? How does it impact our society when we shut off expressions of interpersonal curiosity?
