Episodes
12. You can judge the quality of a decision by the success of the out…
Many believe that you can judge the quality of a decision by the success of the outcome…………’ But can you really?’ What if the person making the decision was reckless or had a high propensity for risk-taking, or was a gambler?...
11. Thinking's only part of the story - what about deciding?
Think of this episode as the end of the first season, and the beginning of the second season. We took a winding journey through critical thinking for the first 10 episodes, and the last episode's interview with Carl Davidson ...
10. Thinking for ourselves. Thinking critically, and why it matters.
I've always been clear that the Free-dumb Sessions' role is to provoke debate, awaken critical thinking, and help people ' break Free of Dumb’, in all its many forms, but what the hell is critical thinking anyway? How do we s...
9. Truth, lies and questionable facts.
Most of us pride ourselves on our honesty. Our businesses love to talk about honesty and integrity It is important to us. But are we really that honest? Do we really tell ‘the truth’, and what does that even mean? Sadly, trut...
Episode 8 - The P-word. Purpose. A way to lead a business or just an…
This episode is a discussion with my guest and friend Nick Leach. There’s so much talk about ‘Purpose’, but what is it exactly? Is it just a new-age way of window dressing, or does it have the power to transform organisations...
7. Part 2 of Sticks and Stones - responding to listener feedback
While we seem to agree that words matter, are people really getting taken in by the media? Are we really that dumb? The power of 'framing'. Can the mere substitution of a single verb make a noticeable difference in meaning? W...
6. Sticks and stones - or, words do matter.
" Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me" Really? A discussion about young people and resilience, the power of words - for good and bad, what this all means in an 'always-on' social media world, a...
5. Does 'Charisma and Charm' make the world go round?
Let’s discuss ‘Charisma’. We are all drawn to people with ‘natural charisma’, but what is it exactly? The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that charisma is a ‘compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in ...
4. Empathy, or "Just because I walked a mile in your shoe doesn't mea…
Some thoughts about the quest for a more empathetic society. How it isn't always what it seems. What empathy is, and isn't. Empathy and manipulation. Once you've listened to this episode, see how you do on the visual emotion ...
3. Conspiracy theories “You tell me your truth, and I’ll tell you mi…
You tell me your truth, and I’ll tell you mine. What are conspiracy theories? Are they a new 'internet age' phenomenon? What conditions are needed to create one? What's not a conspiracy theory? What role does confirmation bia...
2. Fake news and all its friends.
A new vocabulary, new etiquette, and new rules for these COVID19 and' post-truth' times. How Trump and COVID19 are managing to change our world in ways beyond our imagination.
1. The Last Man.
Thoughts about COVID19, existentialism, and whether we are now living in some kind of dystopian world. If so, are we on a path to an Orwellian, 1984 future, or are we going to be living in Huxley's take on a Brave New World? ...