DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Jose Piranian, a lifelong stutterer who became an international speaker and stand-up comedian after avoiding speaking for over 25 years due to his stutter. Jose shares his experiences and insights on the topic of stuttering, including the emotional struggles and challenges faced by those who stutter.
Jose discusses the concept of "covering," which refers to the ways individuals downplay or hide aspects of their identity in anticipation of bias or negative reactions. He talks about his own experiences with covering and the four dimensions of covering: appearance, affiliation, advocacy, and association. Jose also introduces the "stuttering iceberg" concept, which illustrates the visible and hidden aspects of stuttering.
A significant part of the episode focuses on Jose's journey of overcoming his fear of stuttering and embracing his true self. He shares his unique approach of challenging himself by having conversations with 100 strangers every week, a practice he calls "millions of micro-moments of bravery." The episode culminates with Jose performing a powerful song about finding one's voice.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Stuttering is a communication disorder that involves disruptions or disfluencies in speech, and it is associated with differences in brain activity.
- The concept of 'covering' refers to the ways individuals downplay or hide aspects of their identity in anticipation of bias or negative reactions.
- Jose Piranian, a lifelong stutterer, embarked on a journey of overcoming his fear of stuttering by consistently practicing 'micro-moments of bravery,' such as having conversations with strangers.
- Succumbing to fear and avoiding challenges can limit one's potential and opportunities, while embracing one's true self can lead to personal growth and transformation.
- Jose's approach emphasizes the importance of not waiting for fear and discomfort to go away before taking action, but rather embracing action despite these feelings.
- The episode highlights the power of advocacy and using one's voice to challenge stereotypes and biases, as Jose did in response to reactions to President Biden's stuttering.
- The 'stuttering iceberg' concept illustrates the visible and hidden aspects of stuttering, with the majority of the emotional struggles and experiences hidden beneath the surface.
- Jose's performance of a song about finding one's voice serves as a powerful culmination of his message and journey of self-acceptance and advocacy.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I love the topic of turning points because it is sometimes based on the romanticized idea of transformation. This idea insinuates that all we need for change is one breakthrough moment when something clicks. I have not found that to be the case. With me, it was what I call millions of micro moments of bravery when I did what I was afraid of doing again and again and again until that relationship with fear and discomfort started to transform.“ by Jose Piranian
- “Every time we succumb to our stutter, we essentially, we shrink our destiny by tripping away. By tripping away countless possibilities.“ by Jose Piranian
- “And I think this was such a key mindset shift for me because it meant that I no longer had to wait for my fear and discomfort to go away before I started taking action.“ by Jose Piranian
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Episode Information
The Will To Change: Uncovering True Stories of Diversity & Inclusion
Jennifer Brown
5/20/21
This episode, originally recorded as a DEI call, features an interview with Joze Piranian, Global TEDx Speaker and a lifelong stutterer turned transformational speaker on inclusion and resilience. Joze also shared information about stuttering, and revealed what he has learned from his own journey.