No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp

112: Parker Palmer: Courage, Vocation, and Paradox

Jul 13, 2023

Parker Palmer, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist, shares wisdom on vocation, embracing paradox, and overcoming depression. He emphasizes the importance of listening to oneself, conducting personal experiments, and learning from experiences. Parker also discusses the power of embracing paradox and vulnerability in teaching. He opens up about his own experiences with depression and highlights the value of seeking professional help. The podcast concludes with an insightful interview with Parker J Palmer about his impactful work and personal journey.

48:08

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Episode guests

Parker Palmer

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Quick takeaways

Discovering one's vocation and finding purpose in life involves a series of experiments and exploration to understand one's selfhood, identity, and integrity.

Embracing paradox allows for curiosity and exploring both sides of any situation, fostering a community of truth-seekers who are open to different perspectives and willing to challenge their own thinking.

Deep dives

The Importance of Discovering Vocation and Finding Purpose

Discovering one's vocation and finding purpose in life is crucial for living a good life. It is not about a specific job or career but rather about making meaning and finding purpose in one's life. Vocation involves a series of experiments and exploration to understand one's selfhood, identity, and integrity. It is a journey that requires paying attention to small successes and course correction. Vocation is not a linear path but an unfolding question with different answers at different times.

Introduction

2min

Living a Life Other Than One's Own

16min

Embracing Paradox: Cultivating Curiosity

15min

Understanding and navigating the complexities of depression

3min

Metaphors for Depression

12min

Interview with Parker J Palmer

2min

“Things didn’t come together vocationally for me until I was 50.”

Now 84 years old, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist Parker Palmer has much to say about living a good life. And in his experience, a good life is often hard-won and counterintuitive.

In this episode, Parker covers a lot of ground, offering wisdom gleaned from a life lived at attention to the makings of a good life. He tells about his experience seeking and finding vocation, discovering how a rich life entails the embrace of paradox, and living through two major bouts of depression which gave him an increased attention to life’s small things.

Show Notes: