What impact does birth order have on your personality, your life and your abilities? According to some, a great deal. In particular, middle children of history are regarded for their innovation, their shrewd diplomacy and their creativity. But with changing attitudes and preferences in America, families are having fewer children and this demographic is going extinct. This is described in an article from The Cut, which we discuss this week. What could be the long-term impact on our society? Are their skills and experiences endemic to the existence of middle-children from which we all benefit?
Episode 268: "Citizens Need to Know Numbers"
Making sense of our world is a profoundly human experience. Some default to artistic pursuits while others take up fulfilling hobbies and yet others still defer to the sciences. When it comes to data, however, those of us without solid understanding can be easily misled or confused. This issue was the subject of an article from Aeon, which we discuss this week with Leland Holcomb. How does the confident certainty of numbers allow for misunderstanding? How are larger figures used to distort our perception of scale?
Further Reading:
Aeon, “Citizens need to know numbers”
Episode 267: Our Sixth Anniversary
Six years ago today, in a radically different world needing very much the same things, Hector and I embarked on a discursive journey to explore the human experience and our relationship(s) to it. Though I write this in a challenging moment, I’m optimistic about learning to be done and am grateful to have made the journey with Hector, Caroline, Morgan, Pallavi, Kathleen and so many others. My sincere gratitude to those who listen, especially in these inconsistent times. I remain of the conviction that this show will continue to improve as its voices and listeners do and I’m humbled to hold such a rewarding relationship with so many.
Love,
Kip
Episode 266: Never Nothing
In a period where so much has slowed down or ground to a halt, previous definitions and metrics feel strange and irrelevant. Beyond the application of our past perspectives, it seems only natural to conclude that where there was once something, so radical a series of losses must leave nothing. Where there once was someone, doing a series of tasks and pursuing a variety of lives, there must now be no one. This is, however tempting the thought, not the truth - which is something far more encouraging.
Episode 265: A Lonely Grandma's Plea
How would we each respond to a call for help? Some might say they’d leap to the aid of their fellow person, while others would request more information about the hypothetical. In the era of the internet, given vast distances and anonymity, these circumstances are more complicated than ever before. And over the 2019 holiday season, and elder woman named Carrie from Tulsa, Oklahoma learned precisely how blunt the response can be. Lonely and seeking a family to share the spirit of the season with, her Craigslist ad was primarily met with hostility, suspicion and ridicule. How should we evaluate our social norms and dynamics given the prevalence of vehemence here? What can we learn about the sensitive dynamic between compassion and caution? What might this event indicate about an increasingly digital world?
