Extraordinary Discourse Podcast

Seeker's Dialogues This event of speech, Le Guin argues, is the most potent form of entrainment we humans have — and the intimate tango of speaking and listening is the stuff of great power and great magic. Maria Popova

Unofficial Opposition A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Cocktail Parti Talk Words are events, they do things, change things. They transform both speaker and hearer; they feed energy back and forth and amplify it. They feed understanding or emotion back and forth and amplify it. Listening is not a reaction, it is a connection. Listening to a conversation or a story, we don’t so much respond as join in — become part of the action. ... When you can and do entrain, you are synchronising with the people you’re talking with, physically getting in time and tune with them. No wonder speech is so strong a bond, so powerful in forming community. ... Sound is dynamic. Speech is dynamic — it is action. To act is to take power, to have power, to be powerful. Mutual communication between speakers and listeners is a powerful act. The power of each speaker is amplified, augmented, by the entrainment of the listeners. The strength of a community is amplified, augmented by its mutual entrainment in speech. ... This is why utterance is magic. Wo...

Contrarian Nation Before going to sleep every night, Napoleon [Hill] would imagine a group of history's greatest thinkers from different fields, who have passed away, seated around the table with him. He would speak to each person asking for their advice and guidance. He found by having this group of Invisible Counselors he was most receptive to new ideas, thoughts, knowledge and inspiration. In fact Napoleon believed this Council was of so much benefit to him he eventually increased the numbers to 50. Your Cabinet of Invisible Counselors Ideapod

Countercultural Cuts Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either. M. McLuhan

Craic Intersections " Craic " (/kræk/ KRAK), or "crack", is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. It is often used with the definite article – the craic.

Air Quotes True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one's self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions. Joseph Addison