DeepSummary
The episode starts by discussing the difficulty of getting out of a traffic ticket, suggesting that appealing to the officer's compassion by saying 'I'm sorry' is the only approach that might work. It then delves into a fascinating explanation of the immune system by science writer Philip Dettmer, who explains how complex and multifaceted the immune system is, how it differs from person to person, and how it can actually be harmful if not properly balanced.
Dettmer discusses various aspects of the immune system, such as how it remembers past infections, how it fights cancer, and how exposure to certain germs in childhood can help prevent overreactions like allergies later in life. He also highlights the importance of the thymus, an often overlooked organ that trains immune cells and shrinks as we age.
The episode then shifts to discussing effective feedback with behavior change expert Leanne Renninger. She explains how to give feedback in a way that inspires change, by focusing on specific behaviors, stating the impact, and asking questions to promote insight. The importance of wording feedback positively and proactively seeking feedback is also emphasized.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The immune system is incredibly complex, with intricate mechanisms and variations between individuals.
- Exposure to certain germs in childhood can help prevent the immune system from overreacting later in life.
- The thymus, an often overlooked organ, plays a crucial role in training immune cells but shrinks as we age.
- Giving effective feedback requires focusing on specific behaviors, stating the impact, respecting the recipient, and framing it as a dialogue.
- Positive framing of feedback, stating the desired behavior rather than the undesired, has a greater neurological impact and is more effective.
- Proactively seeking feedback by asking others for their observations and areas for improvement can promote positive change.
- Identifying and articulating the specific behavior that needs to be addressed is essential when giving feedback.
- Appealing to an officer's compassion by saying 'I'm sorry' is the only approach that might get you out of a traffic ticket.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “What we've got going on here is two things. One is that I'm respecting the other person's capacity at that moment to take in the feedback by saying, would it be okay if I shared with you some thoughts and I'm queuing up that this is a dialogue? It's not just me data dumping what I want to say here. So I'm tending to the relational side of things. At the same time, by naming the exact behavior I saw and the impact on me, what I'm doing is I'm enabling change to happen faster because I know exactly what it is that the request is to be changed and why it will matter.“ by Leanne Renninger
- “If I say, don't eat the cookies, all I'm repeating over and over again is, cookies, cookies, cookies. Instead of saying, eat fruit instead, eat fruit instead, fruit, fruit, fruit. So even on just a simple gut check level, we can say that makes sense. And it also lines up also with what research says as well.“ by Leanne Renninger
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Episode Information
Something You Should Know
Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media | Cumulus Podcast Network
2/10/24