by

Tim Ferriss

Calming Philosophies for Chaotic Times — Krista Tippett (#223)

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krista tippett

“Anger is often what pain looks like when it shows itself in public.”

– Krista Tippett

Krista Tippett (@KristaTippett) is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster and New York Times bestselling author. She created and hosts the public radio program and podcast On Being and curates The Civil Conversations Project, an emergent approach to the differences of our age.

She received a National Humanities Medal in 2013 from President Barack Obama at the White House for “thoughtfully delving into the mysteries of human existence. On the air and in print, Ms. Tippett avoids easy answers, embracing complexity and inviting people of every background to join her conversation about faith, ethics, and moral wisdom.”

Krista was a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin and holds a Masters of Divinity from Yale University. Her books are Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living, Einstein’s God: Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit, and Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters — and How to Talk About It.

In this conversation, we cover many things, including:

  • Krista’s morning routines
  • Zen versus striving — compatible, incompatible, or other?
  • Defining “spiritual” and “wise”
  • The role of prayer for her, and what she focuses on
  • Overcoming depression
  • The skills of good interviewing

Enjoy!

#223: Calming Philosophies for Chaotic Times — Krista Tippett

Want to hear another episode with an influential podcaster? — Listen to my interview with Debbie Millman. In this episode, we discuss how to recover from rejection, how to overcome personal crises of faith, class exercises from her most impactful mentors, and much more (stream below or right-click here to download):

#214: How to Design a Life – Debbie Millman

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Connect with Krista Tippett:

Twitter | On Being | The Civil Conversations Project

Show Notes

  • “Anger is often what pain looks like when it shows itself in public.” [05:19]
  • Were drama and debate in school good training for what Krista does now, or just a manifestation of what she was already good at? [10:19]
  • On moving to “Mars,” superpowers, and seeing one’s self through the lens of secret police. [11:37]
  • The principles of good learning. [15:12]
  • Working through a short temper and righteous indignation. [16:43]
  • Don’t negotiate on an empty stomach. [19:37]
  • Identifying and coping with depression. [21:05]
  • Therapy Krista finds most effective. [27:52]
  • Growing as an interviewer. [33:29]
  • Early interview mistakes. [35:37]
  • Lessons learned from the bad habits and practices of other interviewers. [38:31]
  • What did Krista read to her kids when they were younger? [42:15]
  • Poet and poetry recommendations for people who don’t think they like poetry. [44:15]
  • The most important word in any language. [51:55]
  • Once-meaningful words that have become conversation stoppers. [53:53]
  • How can you reconcile Zen and striving for success? [1:00:27]
  • How does Krista define spirituality, and what can someone do daily to grow in spiritual awareness? [1:07:16]
  • Does wisdom come with age? If so, how can we become wise beyond our years? [1:14:05]
  • How does Krista consistently see the best and most meaningful things in the world around her? [1:17:42]
  • “I can disagree with your opinion, it turns out, but I can’t disagree with your experience.” [1:22:32]
  • Drawing inspiration for civil discourse from Ecumenist Benedictine monks. [1:24:07]
  • Answering questions through the story of your life. [1:25:14]
  • Working through the instincts that don’t serve us well. [1:30:20]
  • A hopeful story about conversation across the political divide. [1:31:26]
  • Most gifted books. [1:33:04]
  • What college class would Krista teach, and what exercises would she assign? [1:34:57]
  • Krista talks about one of the best listeners she knows. [1:39:52]
  • Favorite moments of television storytelling. [1:41:25]
  • What would Krista’s billboard say? [1:43:47]
  • Morning rituals and prayer as “a mother tongue.” [1:44:26]
  • Krista shares her prayer. [1:48:07]
  • Closing requests and thoughts. [1:52:17]

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