Steven Pinker -Opinions have been criminalized

This episode with one of today’s most influential thinkers will leave you thinking more. 

Professor Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, a Humanist of the Year, a recipient of nine honorary doctorates, one of Foreign Policy’s “World’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals” and Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World Today.” 

Professor Pinker talks about his research and the concepts he reveals in his best-selling books, which are surprising, enlightening, and inspiring. For instance, Pinker’s Better Angels of Our Nature reveals that violence is, in fact, in decline, and we are living in the most peaceful moment in our species’ existence. In Rationality, Pinker examines how humans can, on the one hand, develop COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year yet produce volumes of fake news daily. In The Blank Slate, he examines the origins of human nature and challenges the arguments of nature versus nurture.

I also share Steven Pinker's concerns that opinion has been criminalized, and I appreciate his solutions to help curb negativity and single-minded perspectives. Pinker offers his views on what children should be taught so they can grow into critical thinkers. And this lover of science and facts, with an apparent gift for words, reveals how scientific curiosity and understanding can ultimately inspire and empower us all.  

Some fantastic takeaways from the brilliant Steven Pinker.

Alan Depencier, the Chief Marketing Officer of RBC, joins the show to share ideas on how brands can counter the negative side of social media.  To do so, they must understand their purpose, foster a culture that embraces it, and look at positive or negative feedback as an opportunity to improve.

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