Episode Details

Celeste Headlee: We Need to Talk

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist who has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She hosts a daily talk show called “On Second Thought” for Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta. She’s the author of the book We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter*.

Key Points

• Dysfunctional conversations (especially about politics) are nothing new. What is new is how virtually every decision we make has been politicized.
• When in a conversation, let go of the burden of trying to convince someone of something.
• Listen to someone to hear their perspective rather than only waiting to hear what they say just so you can refute it.
• When you’re trying to take in information, you cannot also be holding an agenda.
• If you don’t know an answer, don’t try to hide it. Just say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
• People have less empathy towards others than they used to.
• It’s possible to find something in common with almost anyone if you ask a few questions.

Resources Mentioned

• We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter* by Celeste Headlee
• 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation (Celeste’s TED talk)
• Don’t Find a Job, Find a Mission
• Help Make America Talk Again

Book Notes

Download my highlights from We Need to Talk in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• How to Know What to Ask, with Andrew Warner (episode 198)
• Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254)
• How to Increase Your Conversational Intelligence, with with Judith Glaser (episode 271)

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