Finding Common Ground: David Deighton on the Art of Talking to Strangers

Catherine Llewellyn welcomes David Deighton, creator of Triptych Dialogue, an art experiment exploring how we can bridge societal divides by changing the way we talk to one another. David's work brings people together in person, often around difficult subjects such as politics, using art, active listening and the senses to create deeper connection. David shares how his understanding of impermanence developed through years of meditation and study, including time spent at a monastery in India with a Burmese monk. He describes his practice of using rocks as reminders of impermanence, suffering and connection, and how these ideas became part of his artistic work. They explore the origins of Triptych Dialogue, including an encounter with a medieval triptych at the Victoria and Albert Museum. David explains how the missing parts of the artwork prompted him to think about what is absent from our conversations, and how this led him to begin speaking with strangers about politics. David describes his approach to these encounters, asking three questions, listening without debating and looking for the emotional common ground beneath political differences. He explains how these short conversations can transform both participants, and how his own anger and sense of division have changed through the practice. #Impermanence #Connection #ActiveListening ================== Where our conversation went: 02:00 David's relationship with impermanence and why it keeps returning as a reminder 04:25 The rock that became a daily reminder of impermanence, suffering and connection 07:05 How the rock represents change, transformation and the interconnectedness of everything 09:30 Walking meditation, carrying rocks and the practice of letting them go 10:45 Impermanence as a metaphor for existence, renewal and our relationships 11:37 David's years of study and his journey to a monastery in India 13:40 Theravada Buddhism, meditation and learning through presence and all the senses 15:30 Bringing this sensory awareness into David's artwork 16:17 Exploring how to create deeper connection with a stranger in less than five minutes 16:29 Talking to strangers about politics and the origins of Triptych Dialogue 20:43 The medieval triptych at the Victoria and Albert Museum that inspired the project 21:27 What is missing from the artwork, and what is missing from our conversations 22:55 Three questions as the three panels of the triptych 23:32 Responding to societal division and turning from political expression towards face to face exchange 25:23 Using all the senses to experience another person's words and perspective 26:05 Finding commonality with people whose values and political views may seem completely opposed 27:05 Discovering emotional connection beneath political disagreement 28:25 How natural environments create space for openness, curiosity and connection 29:04 Moments of genuine human connection in an age of digital division 30:56 How these encounters have changed David 31:50 The three questions and the importance of listening without debating 33:00 Exploring people's feelings about the current state of US politics 33:22 The third question, finishing the sentence about politics in the United States 34:35 Finding a single word that captures what someone has expressed 35:03 What happens after the microphone is turned off 35:41 How people's feelings can change during the course of a single day 36:19 Active listening, presence and David's daily grounding practice 37:42 The project as an ongoing exploration of connection and transformation 38:56 Ceramic vessels, impermanence and preserving questions for the future 40:20 David's new website and continuing to share the project 40:57 Conversations in natural places and learning from others 42:12 Connecting through all the senses and moments of silence with strangers 43:15 Following the project online and hearing the conversations for yourself 44:52 Human connection as a form of political action 46:02 David's message to people following their own calling: keep going, everything is impermanent 46:53 Dropping the phone and talking to a stranger 47:35 The value of vulnerability, connection and allowing ourselves to be transformed 48:14 Rethinking the advice to not talk to strangers #podmatch #Impermanence #ActiveListening #HumanConnection Where to find David Deighton: https://triptychdialogue.com ========================= ✦ Make the most of your calling; Book an Exploratory Call with Catherine: https://beingspace.world/#explore 🤝 Join our Being Space Community ✦ Podcast: <a href='https