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?And what if the reaso

11. Thinking's only part of the story - what about deciding?

Sep 5th, 2021 9m 15s

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 seemed a fitting pla

10. Thinking for ourselves. Thinking critically, and why it matters.

Jun 27th, 2021 40m

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 sort out the facts f

9. Truth, lies and questionable facts.

May 29th, 2021 11m 45s

Most of us pride ourselves on our honesty.Our businesses love to talk about honesty and integrityIt is important to us. But are we really that honest? Do we really tell ‘the truth’, and what does that even mean?Sadly, truth is subjective and w

8. The P-word. Purpose. A way to lead a business or just another passing fad?

May 8th, 2021 49m 13s

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?Nick is a passionat

7. Part 2 of Sticks and Stones - responding to listener feedback

Apr 3rd, 2021 6m 25s

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?What implications does

6. Sticks and stones - or, words do matter.

Mar 14th, 2021 11m 1s

"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,and the power the media h

5. Does 'Charisma and Charm' make the world go round?

Feb 17th, 2021 9m 19s

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 others’.Is it a natur

4. Empathy, or "Just because I walked a mile in your shoes doesn't mean I won’t steal them from you”

Jan 31st, 2021 9m 30s

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 recognition test here:

3. Conspiracy theories “You tell me your truth, and I’ll tell you mine”

Jan 7th, 2021 18m 34s

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 bias play in solidifying ou

2. Fake news and all its friends.

Jan 5th, 2021 11m 5s

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.

Jan 5th, 2021 9m 54s

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? More importantly, d

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