On the 124th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Glenn Behenna. Glenn is a recently retired Senior Lecturer at Carmarthen Business School and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He held a varied range of roles throughout his career, including steelworker, police officer, consultant, and facilitator, alongside more than 20 years of experience lecturing and managing university programmes. He was also an invited speaker at the House of Lords on topics related to education. Glenn’s path has been driven by a deep interest in people and how we communicate. 

In this conversation, Glenn shares his insights on the power of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. We delve into the value of listening, paying attention, and fostering relationships within learning environments. Our discussion highlights how curiosity can drive personal growth and deepen our understanding of both ourselves and others.

We also reflect on the need to create space for our feelings and intuition, as well as the necessity of preserving our humanity in an increasingly automated world.

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00:00 Making a difference to people’s lives

05:00 Helping people build confidence  

09:10 Encouraging people to know they are enough

12:30 Being vulnerable and available to people

15:30 The power of listening to open up others

18:40 Attention and relationship in learning

23:00 The unpredictable unfolding path of life

26:30 Curiosity & becoming at ease with ourselves

35:15 Leaving space for intuition & feeling

40:22 Reflections on AI in education

43:00 We are dehumanising ourselves

49:13 Students wary of AI marking their work

53:53 Conversation summary

56:26 What is a good life for Glenn?

Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life​