344: The Way to Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee

Celeste Headlee: We Need to Talk

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist who has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She hosts a daily talk show called “On Second Thought” for Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta. She’s the author of the book We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter*.

Key Points

• Dysfunctional conversations (especially about politics) are nothing new. What is new is how virtually every decision we make has been politicized.
• When in a conversation, let go of the burden of trying to convince someone of something.
• Listen to someone to hear their perspective rather than only waiting to hear what they say just so you can refute it.
• When you’re trying to take in information, you cannot also be holding an agenda.
• If you don’t know an answer, don’t try to hide it. Just say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
• People have less empathy towards others than they used to.
• It’s possible to find something in common with almost anyone if you ask a few questions.

Resources Mentioned

• We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter* by Celeste Headlee
• 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation (Celeste’s TED talk)
• Don’t Find a Job, Find a Mission
• Help Make America Talk Again

Book Notes

Download my highlights from We Need to Talk in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• How to Know What to Ask, with Andrew Warner (episode 198)
• Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254)
• How to Increase Your Conversational Intelligence, with with Judith Glaser (episode 271)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.