EP 132: How To Have Impossible Conversations About Gender with Peter Boghossian

In this thought-provoking episode, Stella and Sasha engage in a powerful conversation with the brilliant Peter Boghossian, known for his controversial public resignation from Portland State University and his critical stance on academia.

Dr. Peter Boghossian is a Founding Faculty member at the University of Austin and the director of National Progress Alliance. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 25 years that focuses on the Socratic method, scientific skepticism, and critical thinking. Peter’s dissertation explored increasing the moral reasoning of prison inmates and aiding their resistance to crime. His most recent book is _How to Have Impossible Conversations,_ and his writing can be found in _The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Time Magazine, National Review,_ and elsewhere. His work is centered on bringing the tools of professional philosophers to a wide variety of contexts to help people think through what seem to be intractable problems.

The highlight of this episode is a role-playing exercise where Peter assumes the role of a concerned parent, while Stella and Sasha take on the roles of 13-year-old kids seeking puberty blockers. You'll witness Peter's exceptional ability to lower defensiveness and foster understanding in the midst of a challenging conversation. His calm, patient, and curious approach shines through, setting an inspiring example for parents facing similar challenges.

We highly recommend exploring Peter's YouTube channel where he posts his exercises in street epistemology.

Don't miss this enlightening episode where Peter Boghossian shares his expertise in navigating difficult conversations and sheds light on the importance of approaching the topic of gender exploration with intention, understanding and empathy. Peter's extensive experience and wisdom provide a fresh perspective on an issue many listeners grapple with.

Join us for this remarkable conversation that may change the way you engage in impossible conversations. Then be sure to visit our Listener Community to watch the Bonus Content where we break down the roleplay conversation and analyze these conversation techniques.

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Confrontation at Portland State University

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

Episode 7 - Collective Collusion

Episode 10 - Queer Theory: Subverting Life's Categories

Episode 35 - Communicating About Gender: Translating Between Parent & Child

Episode 107 — What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You

Episode 110 — Pathologizing Normal: The Lure of Identity Labels & Diagnoses

Episode 119 — Who Gets Embroiled in the Gender Debates

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