One of the athletes we’re coaching recommended this TED Radio Hour program called Dialogue and Exchange (scroll down to the Oct 27 program). The program includes four stories demonstrating the importance of finding ways to create dialogue so we can exchange ideas. Each story also includes links to the subject’s TED Talk. Take the time this holiday season to ask yourself this question: “Am I interested in exchanging ideas so I can learn, or am I interested in reinforcing my own beliefs?” Note that we all have the tendency to do the latter. It takes conscious choice to shift to the former. –
Megan Phelps-Roper (Westboro Baptist Church): Megan was sure she was right until she engaged in conversations on twitter, which planted seeds of doubt in her. She realized she needed to learn, to listen, and to treat others as human beings worthy of respect. She said she was “blinded by certainty.” How certain are you?
Megan’s TED Talk
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Robb Willer: Robb says we make arguments based on our own values; it’s like persuading others by looking in the mirror. Rather, understand the values of others and frame your argument in their values. He says to have a united country it needs to be “We the people” not “I the person.” And, “What none of us can achieve alone; all of us can achieve together.” How encouraging…
Robb’s TED Talk
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Celeste Headlee (We Need to Talk book): Celeste says don’t start conversations to change the other person’s mind; start them to learn something. Then, when having the conversation, don’t multi-task; truly listen and ask open-ended questions. Let thoughts come in/out of your mind without voicing them. Don’t be thinking about what you want to say next to defend your view. Are you defending yourself?
Celeste’s TED Talk
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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: Jonathan gives us three specific ways we can move from the politics of “me” to the politics of “all of us, together.”
Jonathan’s TED Talk
