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225: Unabridged Interview: Parker Palmer (Part 1)

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Sep 5, 2025

Guest

Parker J. Palmer

In this engaging conversation, Parker Palmer, a distinguished Quaker writer and activist, shares his journey toward finding true vocation. At 86, he reflects on the challenges of depression and how embracing contradictions has shaped his understanding of a fulfilling life. He emphasizes the importance of vulnerability in education and the courage needed to confront societal expectations versus personal desires. Parker also discusses the transformative power of connection and the need for resilience amidst life's complexities.

01:24:57

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Episode notes

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INSIGHT

Vocation Is A Long Experiment

Vocation unfolds through experiments and course corrections over a lifetime.
Palmer only found vocational coherence around age 50 after many detours and failures.

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ADVICE

Follow What You Can't Not Do

Follow openings that feel naturally compelling rather than forcing a life plan.
When an inner calling says "I can't not do this," act to avoid paying a price with your soul.

insights

INSIGHT

Don't Live Someone Else's Heroic Script

People often live lives shaped by others' expectations and ideals.
Trying to be someone else's hero leads to damage if it mismatches your gifts.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

An Invitation to Conversation: Exploring Leadership and Community

02:46 • 2min

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Finding One's True Vocation

04:50 • 21min

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Embracing Paradox in Education

25:39 • 23min

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The Power of Vulnerability in Teaching

48:59 • 5min

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Navigating Critique and Authenticity

53:47 • 30min

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Reflections on Despair and the Speed of Modern Deliveries

01:24:06 • 2min

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#25241

The Promise of Paradox

A Celebration of Contradictions in the Christian Life

Parker J. Palmer

Parker J. Palmer's 'The Promise of Paradox' explores the inherent contradictions and tensions within the Christian life, viewing them as opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper understanding. The book examines various paradoxes, such as the simultaneous experience of joy and sorrow, strength in weakness, and freedom through submission. Palmer encourages readers to embrace these paradoxes rather than seeking to resolve them, finding that they offer profound insights into the nature of faith and reality. Through reflective essays, he invites readers to grapple with the complexities of belief, discovering the transformative potential of living in the tension between opposing truths. 'The Promise of Paradox' offers a refreshing perspective on faith as a dynamic and ever-evolving journey.

#3411

• Mentioned in 9 episodes

See No Stranger

A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love

Valarie Kaur

In 'See No Stranger,' Valarie Kaur takes readers through her riveting journey—from growing up as a brown girl in California farmland to becoming a young adult galvanized by the murders of Sikhs after 9/11, a law student fighting injustices, and an activist working with communities recovering from xenophobic attacks. Kaur reclaims love as an active, public, and revolutionary force that creates new possibilities for ourselves, our communities, and our world. The book draws from the wisdom of sages, scientists, and activists to offer a practical guide to changing the world through revolutionary love, which extends to others, opponents, and oneself.

#3597

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

The Courage to Teach

exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life

Parker J. Palmer

In 'The Courage to Teach,' Parker J. Palmer argues that good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. The book emphasizes the need for teachers to be authentically present in the classroom, connected with their students and the subject matter. Palmer discusses the flaws of objectivism, the importance of community-centered learning, and the necessity of addressing the inner life of teachers in educational reform. He advocates for a relational understanding of knowledge and highlights the importance of vulnerability and connectedness in teaching and learning.

#56785

My Experiments with Truth

The Story of Edgar Cayce

Thomas Joseph Sugrue

This book tells the story of Edgar Cayce's life, from his early days as a medical clairvoyant to his later years as a spiritual leader. It explores his psychic abilities, his readings, and his influence on modern spirituality. The biography was written by Thomas Sugrue, who had close access to Cayce and his family.

#2054

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

Let Your Life Speak

Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Parker J. Palmer

In 'Let Your Life Speak', Parker J. Palmer reflects on the journey of finding one's true vocation through a deeply personal and compassionate lens. The book encourages readers to listen to their inner selves rather than external expectations, and to embrace their true identities and integrity. Palmer shares his own experiences, including struggles with depression and unconventional career paths, to illustrate the importance of authenticity and self-awareness in discovering one's calling. The book emphasizes that vocation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received, and that it involves aligning one's life with one's natural gifts and interests.

This is part one of our unabridged interview with Parker Palmer.

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

At 86 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 with 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 three major bouts of depression, which gave him an increased attention to life’s small things.

Show Notes

Resources:

⁠Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer⁠

⁠The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Similar Episodes:

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⁠Author of The Shack: William Paul Young⁠

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