Breaking beliefism

The first season of ten episodes of Breaking Beliefism is complete and thanks to my amazing guests. You can listen to my quick reflections in this short wrap-up. I've learned a lot but naturally changed my mind about very little, including Coldplay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan speaks to newspaper columnist and TV presenter Giles Coren, who has made a career out of being opinionated. The conversation was the embodiment of ‘breaking beliefism’ - they disagreed on several things, including whether literature and music are a waste of time. But they did agree on how provocation can lead to better debate and how the middle classes are the most constrained by rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan chats to journalist and fashion editor Melanie Rickey, who founded The Enoughness movement after recovery from drug and alcohol misuse. They agree on the concept of ‘enoughness’ – the sweet spot between fearing less and seeking more – but place different emphasis on the role of individuals and society in bringing it about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this discussion, Steve Baker, a former Conservative MP and Minister of State, shares his views on the pitfalls of groupthink in politics. He emphasizes the dangers of COVID lockdown decision-making and advocates for open dialogue. The duo debates the role of politicians versus academics in acknowledging biases. They also touch on the need for diverse perspectives within political discourse and the value of learning from mistakes. Finally, they highlight the importance of empathy and humor in fostering collaboration across differing beliefs.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks with Dr Aleks Matic, who is a computer scientist and all round geek at Koa Health. They discuss how beliefism across disciplines is often found in the language used. They agree that Aleks' fellow Serb Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time but disagree about how to be happy with Aleks preferring the dullness of a "calm sea" over the excitement of being a "rough ocean".  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan discusses all things gambling with Gearóid Norris. They talk about the discipline required to make money from gambling and how to deal with the challenges of problematic gambling. They explore the stigma associated with gambling and why Gearóid feels the need to lie to cabbies about what he does for a living.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Dr Rim Turkmani, a colleague at the LSE currently working on the Syrian conflict and who was previously an astrophysicist. They discuss how the methods of natural science help inform social science and how addressing the challenges of beliefism in conflict zones provides lessons for breaking beliefism elsewhere. They talk about immigration and agree that so much depends on how the issues are framed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Sharath Jeevan, consultant and part-time stand up comic. They discuss the power of humour in reducing beliefism. They agree that all metrics used to assess performance can work well until they don't and then it's hard to pivot. They disagree about just how much difference there is between the generations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan discusses breaking beliefism with Bruce Daisley, formerly the most senior person at Twitter outside of the US. They discuss freedom of speech, the limits of what people should be allowed to say online, and what makes for a good culture in the workplace. They discuss "red lines" and agree that no one over the age of 21 should have a birthday party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Lord Gus O'Donnell, who was Cabinet Secretary under three Prime Ministers. They talk about how hard it is get wellbeing into policy, despite the case for it being so compelling. They talk about football and its lessons for reducing beliefism. They discuss social class, where they disagree about its importance in contemporary society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.