Ideas The 2024 CBC Massey Lectures | # 1: Why we need to have a conversation about conversations
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Mar 17, 2025 In this insightful discussion, Ian Williams, a celebrated novelist and Giller Prize winner, explores the decline of civil discourse in modern society. He highlights the urgent need to rethink how we converse, advocating for open dialogue on complex issues like gender and race. Williams shares personal stories that emphasize empathy and the transformative power of honest communication, especially in tackling taboo topics. He also contrasts human creativity with AI, urging listeners to cherish authentic connections in an age dominated by technology.
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Deterioration of Discourse
- We must address the deterioration of civic and civil discourse, where we treat each other as two-dimensional profiles.
- Online spaces exacerbate this, allowing for masked identities and consequence-free hurtful comments.
The Importance of Talking
- Not talking risks imagining others in self-serving ways, confirming biases and scapegoating.
- Conversations correct assumptions and delusions if we listen without agendas, like people are dying.
Talking in Good Faith
- Talk about anything if you know how, and even if you don't, still talk in good faith.
- Discuss important topics like climate, wars, democracy, gender, race, technology, and wealth inequality.
