The last part of the book Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves discusses conversations between people who may not agree. Other books have tackled this subject at length, so I won’t rehash the ideas here.
While some of the ideas in the book aren’t new (to me), I think they could be applied to collective benefit, both in person and on social media. Less one-upmanship, fewer “gotcha” questions, less correction, less ego. More question asking, more connection, and more kindness, most of all.
end
I finished the book Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves by Alison Wood Brooks. I love the topic about how to communicate well with other people – it’s an art that we can cultivate to our own and others’ benefit. It’s beautiful, healthy, and connective, and I was happy to have this book become available.
This is a long thread with my notes and direct quotes.
The book begins by identifying maxims that can be used to facilitate conversation, which I think are useful both offline and on: “The TALK maxims break conversation down into four crucial reminders that will guide our entire approach to make conversation more vibrant, enriching, and effective: Topics, because great conversationalists choose good topics and make any topic better; Asking, because asking questions helps us move between topics and dive deeper into them; Levity, to keep our conversations from becoming stale; and Kindness, because great talkers care for others and show it.”
It's an easy reminder – to stay curious, to introduce lightness, and to lead with compassion.
Pas un poisson d'avril: le Conseil d'Etat annule le blocage de TikTok en Nouvelle-Calédonie décidé en mai 2024 mais autorise le gouvernement actuel et ceux à venir à bloquer les réseaux sociaux au nom de"la théorie des circonstances exceptionnelles", c'est-à-dire sans une loi et en marge de l'état d'urgence. Une décision inquiétante pour nos libertés https://www.conseil-etat.fr/actualites/en-cas-de-circonstances-exceptionnelles-le-gouvernement-peut-interrompre-provisoirement-l-acces-a-un-reseau-social-mais-sous-conditions
Why this matters:
While the energy crisis could have boosted awareness of climate & biodiversity, our research shows that social media dynamics may weaken support for coordinated action. Environmental advocacy faces growing challenges in cutting through the noise.
Understanding how social media shapes collective #sensemaking in times of crisis is crucial for improving #communication strategies and ensuring environmental concerns are central to long-term policy decisions.
"Data2Action exists to make emerging technology work harder for humanity, enabling us to co-create a healthier, fairer and more sustainable world for all. [...]
We’re recruiting *13 funded doctoral fellows from Europe and beyond* to work collaboratively across a range of interconnected cutting-edge research and development projects."
#HorizonEurope #UKResearchAndInnovation #UKRI #MarieCurie #MSCA #DoctoralNetwork #PhD #DataScience #Data2Action #SocialInnovation #SocialImpact #LivingLabs #CoCreation #Collaboration #Transdisciplinary #Dissemination #Communication #NetworkBuilding #CommonGood #AI #CuttingEdge
#Technology #Humanity #Health #Fairness #Sustainability #SustainableWorld #PublicGood #SocialPioneers #ArtificalIntelligence
#SectoralExperts #Society #RealWorldSolutions #ClimateChange #SocialJustice #Democracy #Aging #People #Planet
Vancouver admits 'poor communication' on partial seawall closure, promises better detour by summer
The City of Vancouver is admitting it could have done a better job explaining its plan to replace a section of the seawall that had to be closed indefinitely due to safety concerns, and it's promising a workaround...
#communication #city #infrastructure #safety #Vancouver #News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-seawall-closure-science-world-olympic-village-1.7495720?cmp=rss
[Article] La valse funèbre des communicants de l’ère Macron
Dissolution, censure, nouveaux gouvernements, majorités instables et fluctuantes... Dans le chaos institutionnel provoqué par le chef de l’État, les conseillers communication sautent d’un ministère à l’autre ou s’empressent de se recaser, dans le privé. Un ballet et une…
https://www.blast-info.fr/articles/2025/la-valse-funebre-des-communicants-de-lere-macron-DlEkf368SoGNOjbNSOIfjA #Communication #Industrie #Medias #Politique