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This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
Last Thursday, I received an email from a friend who shared that this week’s RadioLab episode would feature her and "a WILD story that would make for fascinating Thanksgiving conversation." The episode is about a recently discovered human body part–and the mysteries it might help us solve.
I was intrigued, of course, and hope you are too.
That friend is Jenn Brandel. She's the founder and CEO of Hearken, a journalist and the ultimate cool kid. I’ve heard Jenn talk a lot about this body part (some say organ) because up until about five years ago, it was essentially invisible to Western scientists. Turns out, it’s not just a cool new scientific discovery about a body part that connects everything within, but it could significantly advance our understanding of cancer and many other diseases.
So yes, kind of a big deal.
Near the end of the RadioLab episode, we hear Professor Neil Theise question how he could have missed something so important—something that had been right under his nose (and skin) all along.
As he ponders that thought, he says, "What had I been taught that got in the way? And what am I missing now?"
What a powerful set of questions. And what are each of us taught that gets in our way?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself, too, as I’ve come to embrace unlearning and learning again as a way of deepening my own understanding. An important part of my unlearning/learning journey has been informed by recommendations from many of you.
Like Jenn’s suggestion to learn more about this new body part (it's called the Interstitium, by the way), you’ve turned me on to books, articles, podcasts, and videos that have helped widen my lens and inform my point of view.
So this week, as thanks to you, I'm sharing back a few recommendations from this past year, should you be looking for new ways to understand, too.
If you’re into AI, a parent, or active on social media, and you’ve got 3 minutes, watch this haunting video about online safety and manipulation that will make you rethink what and how you post online. This video is worth watching and sharing. Warning: this content may be disturbing to some.
If you’re a word nerd looking for a great podcast, listen to any episode of You’re Saying it Wrong, a hilarious and informative radio show from NPR featuring brother/sister writing duo Kathy and Ross Petras. (who will also be featured on an upcoming episode of Mission Forward!)
If you’re intrigued by the scientific discovery referenced at the top of this email, and you’ve got an hour, listen to RadioLab’s latest episode on the Interstitium, the “big deal” part of our bodies that was invisible to Western scientists until about five years ago.
If you’re looking for a movie that fills in what history books missed, watch Rustin, a new film about the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington.
And, if you’ve got a few quiet days to sink into a book, read Pregnant Girl, by Nicole Lynn Lewis. This book is much more than a memoir. As NPR says, “It’s a story with the power to undo deep-set cultural biases about poverty and parenthood.” The Mission Partners team just finished reading this book and can reinforce the power in its pages.
Bottom line: There’s always something more to learn and something that might be getting in your way of learning too. I hope this learning list gets your mind going with new ideas and information and invites you to ask: what have you learned that’s getting in your way, and what are you missing now?
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
