Breaking beliefism

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.

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.

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. 

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". 

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. 

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. 

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Sharath Jeevan, consultant and part-time stand up comic. They discuss the power of humour in reducing beliefism. They agree that all metrics used to assess performance can work well until they don't and then it's hard to pivot. They disagree about just how much difference there is between the generations. 

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan discusses breaking beliefism with Bruce Daisley, formerly the most senior person at Twitter outside of the US. They discuss freedom of speech, the limits of what people should be allowed to say online, and what makes for a good culture in the workplace. They discuss "red lines" and agree that no one over the age of 21 should have a birthday party.

In this episode, Prof Paul Dolan talks to Lord Gus O'Donnell, who was Cabinet Secretary under three Prime Ministers. They talk about how hard it is get wellbeing into policy, despite the case for it being so compelling. They talk about football and its lessons for reducing beliefism. They discuss social class, where they disagree about its importance in contemporary society.