Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

Latest Episodes:

5: What You Focus on Determines What You Miss Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Learning How to See, Brian, Jacqui, and Richard talk about the next three biases that look at the social-political dimensions of seeing:

Comfort/Complacency/Convenience Bias: Our brains welcome data that allows us to relax and be happy and reject data that require us to adjust, work, or inconvenience ourselves.
Catastrophe/Normalcy Bias: Our brains notice sudden changes for the worse, but we easily miss slow and subtle changes over time. We think what is now normal always was and always will be. Our brains are wired for what feels normal.
Cash Bias: It is very hard to see anything that interferes with our way of making a living. Our brains are wired to see within the framework of our economy, and we see what helps us make money.

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Richard Rohr: Twitter | Sign up for his Daily Meditations here

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4: What Authoritarian Leaders See Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Learning How to See, Brian, Jacqui, and Richard talk about the next two biases that look at the social-political dimensions of seeing:

Confidence Bias: We mistake confidence for competence, and we are all vulnerable to the lies of confident people. Our brains prefer a confident lie to a hesitant truth.
Conspiracy Bias: When we feel shame, we are vulnerable to stories that cast us as the victims of an evil conspiracy by some enemy “other.” Our brains like stories in which we’re either the hero or the victim ... never the villain.

Resources:

Connect with us:

We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or feedback. Send us an email at podcasts@cac.org
Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Brian McLaren: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Rev. Jacqui Lewis PhD: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Richard Rohr: Twitter | Sign up for his Daily Meditations here

3: Seeing is Political Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Learning How to See, Brian, Jacqui, and Richard talk about the next three biases that look at the social-political dimensions of seeing:

Conservative/Liberal bias: Conservatives and Liberals see the world differently. Liberals see through a “nurturing parent” window, and Conservatives see through a “strict father” window. Liberals value moral arguments based on justice and compassion; conservatives also place a high value on arguments based on purity, loyalty, authority, and tradition. Our brains like to see as our party sees, and we flock with those who see as we do.
Consciousness bias: A person’s level of consciousness makes seeing some things possible and others impossible. Our brains see from a location.
Competency bias: We are incompetent at knowing how incompetent or competent we are, so we may see less or more than we think. Our brains prefer to think of ourselves as above average.

Resources:

Connect with us:

We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or feedback. Send us an email at podcasts@cac.org
Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Brian McLaren: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Rev. Jacqui Lewis PhD: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Richard Rohr: Twitter | Sign up for his Daily Meditations here

2: Seeing Is A Social Act Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Learning How to See, Brian, Jacqui, and Richard talk about the next three biases that look at the social dimensions of seeing:

Community bias: It is very hard to see something your group doesn’t want you to see. This is a form of social confirmation bias.
Complementarity bias: If people are nice to you, you’ll be open to what they see and have to say. If they aren’t nice to you, you won’t.
Contact bias: If you lack contact with someone, you won’t see what they see.

Resources:

Connect with us:

We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or feedback. Send us an email at podcasts@cac.org
Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Brian McLaren: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Rev. Jacqui Lewis PhD: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Richard Rohr: Twitter | Sign up for his Daily Meditations here

1: Why Can't We See? Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

On this introductory episode of Learning How to See, Brian, Jacqui, and Richard talk about two biases that set the stage for all the others:

Confirmation Bias: the human brain welcomes information that confirms what it already thinks and resist information that disturbs or contradicts what it already thinks.
Complexity Bias: the human brain prefers a simple lie to a complex truth.

Resources:

Connect with us:

We’d love to hear your thoughts, comments or feedback. Send us an email at podcasts@cac.org
Center for Action and Contemplation: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Brian McLaren: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Rev. Jacqui Lewis PhD: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Richard Rohr: Twitter | Sign up for his Daily Meditations here

Coming Soon: Learning How to See Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

How do we transform and transcend our biases? From judgments made unconsciously to complacency in systemic evil, we must learn how to see if we are to learn how to transform. Center for Action and Contemplation faculty members Brian McLaren and Richard Rohr join Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis Ph.D. of New York’s Middle Church for this special six-episode podcast series Learning How to See. Listen as these three powerful public theologians discuss how seeing is social, political, and contemplative.

Learning How to See starts October 5th, 2020.

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