Mind Chat

Initially I gave this show one star, because a intriguing as the titles were, and the high quality of the guests, it was really hard to follow the long sometimes winding path of thinking, and of thinking about thinking, and of re-thinking the way things are thought about. I did not feel smart enough, and the only reason why I felt that was because I listened to the show. Therefore I did not enjoy it or come away improved. But as I was about to tap-to-rate that one angry star, I had a realization: it’s not them, it’s me. So I tried listening again, but this time letting the word groups that didn’t get processed through my above-average brain just wash around my head, ears, and eyes like a warm ripply wavelet on a sunny Caribbean beach. That was much better. It all became clear. By swimming in this medium of complex thoughts and words and situations, the familiar found its mark and the unfamiliar slowly became more familiar. I guess that means these kind of conversations which are easy listening for philosophers, scientists, and humanities scholars, are for me aspirational. It’s not about the angst of things that are above my head, it’s about letting my head soak in the medium and osmose what I can. Sometimes conversations are like music not words. I don’t understand all the intricacies or depth of great music either, but I come away feeling better than when I went in.

Great to listen to civil philosophical debate. Whether you follow everything or not you’ll learn about the art of argument and learning.

I want to love it, I really do. The day I was introduced to Goff’s panpsychism was a breath of fresh air - it felt so right in my mind. I enjoy learning via podcast. I think I’ve tried listening to at least 3 episodes and haven’t been able to complete one. I find the pod very hard to follow and hard to hear thus understand. I believe myself to be a decently educated person, but I wish the concepts were broken down more thoroughly, more simply. Better sound/audio would be a bonus. I keep coming back and trying because I want to learn, so please keep it up!