Confronting Your Shadow Through Seeking with Scott Shigeoka | Mind Meld 368
Nov 17, 2023
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Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek, shares his experience traveling to hostile places as a gay man. The podcast explores the importance of curiosity and courage in psychological and spiritual well-being. It delves into the concept of mystery and how curiosity can attract or repel depending on perspective. The episode highlights the power of engaging deeply with opposing viewpoints and the challenges of confronting others in a healthy way.
Cultivating curiosity can lead to deeper connections and understanding in our interactions with others.
Exploring discomfort and confronting uncomfortable truths is essential for personal growth and wisdom.
Approaching challenging experiences with curiosity can reduce anxiety and lead to insight and healing.
Deep dives
Curiosity and Going Deep
Curiosity is important in our interactions with others and in exploring ourselves. Just as the ocean holds depth and richness beneath its surface, so do people. However, in today's culture, we often stay on the surface level, making assumptions about others based on limited information. This leads to missed opportunities for connection and understanding. By cultivating curiosity, we can dive deeper, asking more meaningful questions and truly seeing and valuing others. Curiosity also plays a role in personal growth and facing discomfort. It allows us to confront our fears, traumas, and hidden aspects of ourselves, leading to wisdom and healing. Embracing curiosity can open us up to new possibilities and enhance our relationships with others and ourselves.
The Power of Going Deeper
Going beneath the surface psychologically, philosophically, and spiritually is important for personal growth. It requires embracing curiosity and a willingness to confront discomfort. Often, people only seek truth that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, avoiding dark or uncomfortable aspects. However, the capacity to confront these uncomfortable truths is directly related to wisdom and personal growth. By fully exploring our curiosity and embracing the unknown, we can discover new perspectives and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
The Healing Nature of Curiosity
Curiosity is a powerful tool for healing and growth. It allows us to navigate challenging experiences and move through anxiety and fear. By approaching difficult emotions or circumstances with curiosity, we can gain insight and ultimately reduce anxiety. Curiosity helps us to welcome negative emotions, explore deeper forms of self-awareness, and uncover hidden aspects of our lives. By leaning into curiosity, we can find clarity, connection, and a greater sense of possibilities and well-being.
The Importance of Listening and Microphones
Understanding power dynamics in conversations is crucial for meaningful dialogue. Research shows that giving people with less social power a voice and providing space for curiosity can create more balanced and beneficial interactions. This is particularly important in conversations between different groups, such as discussions about race or gender, where assumptions and biases can create barriers. By passing the metaphorical microphone to those with less social power and fostering genuine curiosity, we can bridge divides, gain understanding, and create a more inclusive and compassionate society.
Embracing curiosity and challenging assumptions
The podcast episode explores the importance of approaching conversations with curiosity and a willingness to challenge our assumptions. The speaker emphasizes the need to detach from our biases and certainties in order to truly understand and connect with others. By questioning our own beliefs and being open to different perspectives, we can engage in more meaningful and deep conversations that lead to personal growth and understanding.
The power of curiosity and engaging with differing viewpoints
The podcast highlights how curiosity can foster connection and improve relationships. By approaching others with genuine curiosity and a desire to understand their experiences, we can bridge divides and find common ground. The speaker emphasizes the importance of seeing the dignity in others and valuing their perspectives. Additionally, the episode explores the idea that embracing uncertainty and being open to growth allows for the exploration of deeper truths and greater intellectual understanding.
In this one, we riff on the importance seeking and how curiosity and courage play key roles in psychological and spiritual well-being. Scott also shares the story of a destabilizing, yet powerful visionary experience that changed his life forever.
Scott Shigeoka is a curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. He's also taught at UC Berkeley, UT Austin and the University of Pennsylvania.
