Breaking beliefism

  • 1. Oliver Burkeman

    28:11||Season 2, Ep. 1
    To start the new series of Breaking Beliefism, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Oliver Burkeman, the author of "4000 Weeks" and "Meditations for Mortals". They discuss how small tangible actions can be more purposeful and make us happier than big dreams, and the need to accept the inevitability of ageing and death. They agree on most things, apart from the value of self-help culture.
  • Welcome to Season 2...

    00:31||Season 2, Ep. 0
    Looking ahead to the new season of Breaking Beliefism.
  • 10. Season finale

    05:56||Season 1, Ep. 10
    The first season of ten episodes of Breaking Beliefism is complete and thanks to my amazing guests. You can listen to my quick reflections in this short wrap-up. I've learned a lot but naturally changed my mind about very little, including Coldplay.
  • 10. Giles Coren

    27:35||Season 1, Ep. 10
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan speaks to newspaper columnist and TV presenter Giles Coren, who has made a career out of being opinionated. The conversation was the embodiment of ‘breaking beliefism’ - they disagreed on several things, including whether literature and music are a waste of time. But they did agree on how provocation can lead to better debate and how the middle classes are the most constrained by rules.
  • 9. Melanie Rickey

    29:02||Season 1, Ep. 9
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan chats to journalist and fashion editor Melanie Rickey, who founded The Enoughness movement after recovery from drug and alcohol misuse. They agree on the concept of ‘enoughness’ – the sweet spot between fearing less and seeking more – but place different emphasis on the role of individuals and society in bringing it about.
  • 8. Rt Hon Steve Baker

    29:49||Season 1, Ep. 8
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Rt. Hon Steve Baker, former MP and Minister in the last Conservative government. Paul and Steve disagree about several things, but are united in their support for dissent. They discuss how beliefism and groupthink have contributed to flawed policymaking, and why politicians are sometimes more honest about their biases than academics. 
  • 7. Aleksandar Matic

    28:36||Season 1, Ep. 7
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks with Dr Aleks Matic, who is a computer scientist and all round geek at Koa Health. They discuss how beliefism across disciplines is often found in the language used. They agree that Aleks' fellow Serb Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time but disagree about how to be happy with Aleks preferring the dullness of a "calm sea" over the excitement of being a "rough ocean". 
  • 6. Gearóid Norris

    28:55||Season 1, Ep. 6
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan discusses all things gambling with Gearóid Norris. They talk about the discipline required to make money from gambling and how to deal with the challenges of problematic gambling. They explore the stigma associated with gambling and why Gearóid feels the need to lie to cabbies about what he does for a living. 
  • 5. Rim Turkmani

    23:17||Season 1, Ep. 5
    In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Dr Rim Turkmani, a colleague at the LSE currently working on the Syrian conflict and who was previously an astrophysicist. They discuss how the methods of natural science help inform social science and how addressing the challenges of beliefism in conflict zones provides lessons for breaking beliefism elsewhere. They talk about immigration and agree that so much depends on how the issues are framed. 
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