Thought Lounge Podcast

In our Big Questions series, we invite 6 people to answer 6 big questions. Each episode is one question. Our guests this week are Heidi Cruise, Larry Zieger, Sten Walker, Axel Cramer, Dave Ellison, and Reza Palizban. On this episode, our guests answer the question, "What is the closest you've come to perfect communication?"

We're very excited to announce our new series starting next week on people around the San Diego area answering Big Questions. Stay tuned next Saturday to check it out!

Conversation on the importance of collecting stories led by Founder of Thought Lounge, Axel Cramer.

For more information on Ryan Ratcliff visit: https://www.sandiego.edu/business/directory/biography.php?_focus=1074https://www.sandiego.edu/business/directory/biography.php?_focus=1074

Let's draw some groups of college students. Some know what they want to do and learn, and some do not. Of those that do, they pursue knowledge for beauty's sake, or perhaps to achieve something to further other life goals. Of those who do not, some know that they are at college to learn what they want to learn and do, and some have no idea why they are there. Of those who do know but know they are there to learn what they want to learn, they collect stories and experiences, travel, and cherish every new pursuit with rigor. Of those who do not know why they are there, they have almost passively arrived at college on the path of least resistance. Isn't it odd that something that you would think would take a lot of effort like applying for and being accepted to a top-tier university, is actually just the default for most?

"Everything we're forced to learn [...] we quickly forget, but the things we set out to learn ourselves — to quench a thirst — are never forgotten, and inevitably become an important part of our existence."

—Werner Herzog, Conversations with Paul Cronin

San Diego Native and Manager for Transportation Services at UCSD, Curt Lutz on Community.

More on the entire Thought Lounge Session by the Host: "On day eighteen of eighteen of a trip to Cuba, a 69-year old man finds himself in tears inexplicably. On St. Patrick's Day, a first-year college student finds himself trapped in his car by middle-aged women dancing in the street. In times of constant war, a young woman wonders if choosing not to fight is a viable option. In times of divisive rhetoric, a father ponders the factors that define and create a meaningful community."

San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame Ed Collin's speaks about his time in Cuba and how aging has affected him during this Thought Lounge Session.

More on the entire Thought Lounge Session by the Host: "On day eighteen of eighteen of a trip to Cuba, a 69-year old man finds himself in tears inexplicably. On St. Patrick's Day, a first-year college student finds himself trapped in his car by middle-aged women dancing in the street. In times of constant war, a young woman wonders if choosing not to fight is a viable option. In times of divisive rhetoric, a father ponders the factors that define and create a meaningful community."

Participants and topics of this Thought Lounge include: Matthew Huang on Will Humans ever be Content in Nature? (00:52) Professor Gelvin on the ISIS Crisis (13:00) Miggy Betancourt on Kindness (26:20) Rivka Cohen on Everyone is a little bit Psychopathic (41:20) and Axel Cramer on the C.U.T. Manifesto (54:24)

For more on Professor James Gelvin visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Gelvin

Will humankind ever be content with it's place in nature, or will we forever be innovating our way into and out of problems? Perhaps we must learn to empathize with the environment as we might with a fellow human-being. Or perhaps we can, once and for all, innovate our way to ecological sustainability and world peace. The "ISIS Crisis" is an example of a situation that will require outside innovation and intervention to resolve. In order to understand how to successfully intervene, we must summon a huge amount of empathy and a push back against blanket statements such as "ISIS is evil and psychopathic." Such statements are the ends to true dialogue, kindness, and to cutting others slack for being different. We must understand from whence they come, and how we might stand in their same shoes if raised in a similar situation.

Are we all just living in each other's paranoia?

If we just stop an meditate on things long enough and with an open enough mind, will we all come to the same conclusions?

What should we mean when we say someone is ignorant?

Where in your life do you see something as art where others do not? How does your art make analogous the thing that you're trying to convey to the viewer?

What if everyone in a college campus community went thorough a small violence prevention training (for rape, fights at parties, bullying, etc.) and were given some sort of certificate for it?

What is the right kind of social conditioning?

About Don Lubach and his work: http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/first-year-and-graduate-initiatives

Imagine a man walking down the streets of Berkeley, California, wearing nothing but trash bags and tattered clothes, with tousled hair and dirt caked all over his nearly soleless shoes... yet he has perfect posture, as if a two-by-four is strapped to his back. This tells a different story about the man. Posture can denote class, confidence, arrongance, and personality. For the singer, it is tone and correct use of the body as an instrument. For the keyboardist it is equilibrium and the ability to move in any direction with precise force at any moment. For the zen master it is attentiveness. For the boxer or tai-qi practitioner it is health, protection, and force. Whatever field, profession, or moment it is, posture plays a key role within it.

Bio of Professor Moroney: http://music.berkeley.edu/people/davitt-moroney/

Bio of Professor Zook: http://iastp.berkeley.edu/People-Detail/Darren%20Zook