As I was travelling on a train to and from Kiel the other day, I listened to this brilliant podcast with Trevor Noah, Eugene Khoza, and Vic Mensa. What I enjoy so much about their conversation is the depth and breadth of the topics they explore, the warm camaraderie they share, and their genuine curiosity to follow ideas wherever they lead. There is also a willingness to change their opinions, or at least to do some careful pruning of their tree of knowledge.
I have always been someone who likes to listen in on other people’s conversations. A group of friends sitting next to me on a train, or a couple on a date at the next table while I am eating alone in a restaurant. I am constantly making up stories about interesting-looking people while people-watching. So having the opportunity to be a fly on the wall and listen to Noah and Khoza talk with Mensa felt like someone had switched on Christmas tree lights in my brain.
More so than with other podcasts I follow, I generally find myself drawn in every time I listen to the podcast. Perhaps it is the dynamic between these close friends, their repartee, and their apparent lack of agenda. It creates a kind of magic that puts their guests at ease and invites a simple, unspoken agreement: let us entertain each other.
The person being interviewed does not have to perform. They simply have to relax. They are not required to be funny, wise, or overly knowledgeable. They are there because Noah and Khoza are genuinely delighted to have them sitting at the same table as them, and they want to hear their guest’s experiences and stories, however long it takes.
It is no surprise that this approach puts their guests at ease. And then, the magic happens.
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