Episode 106: In this conversation, Kate Kavanaugh and Kurt Gray explore the themes of human nature, exploring the idea of humans as prey animals and how this evolutionary bent shapes our understanding of threats in modern society. It’s an episode about how we view harm and threat in a modern social media era, how much divisiveness this has fostered, and how we might have conversations that bridge those divides. In it, they discuss the importance of storytelling in bridging divides and fostering empathy, as well as the vulnerability paradox that arises when trying to connect with others who hold differing views. They also explore Kurt’s CIV framework (Connect, Invite, Validate) as a method for fostering meaningful dialogue. It’s also a conversation about how much humans like going deep with one another–even if they think they don’t. Last, and certainly not least, they ponder paradox themselves, and why humans might be prone to more binary thinking from an evolutionary standpoint.