Episódios
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “dreams”. Listen to them as they discuss the meaning of dreams and why women dream differently (and more) than men. How do dreams appear in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Sufism? What are the most recurring dreams? Of course expect some poetry too.
The story of Prophet Yusuf in the Quran:
https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-7/section-6-kings-dream-yusufs-interpretation
What are dreams and what do they mean?
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dreams-and-dreaming
What is daydreaming and what does it mean?
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/daydreaming-and-concentration-what-the-science-says/
https://www.verywellmind.com/positives-about-daydreaming-5119107
Dreams by Langston Hughes 1901 –1967
https://poets.org/poem/dreams
Why women dream more than men:
https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/women-dream-men
Recurring dreams:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/dreams/dream-interpretation/recurring-dreams#what-are-the-most-common-recurring-dreams
Dreams by Langston Hughes 1901 –1967
https://poets.org/poem/dreams
The Dream That Must Be Interpreted by Rumi
https://www.stillnessspeaks.com/dream-must-interpreted-rumi/
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Teachers”. Listen to them as they discuss their experiences with teaching both as students and teachers. They read a range of humorous poems and share some research about teaching.
My Teacher Wasn't Half As Nice As Yours Seems To Be by Roald Dahlhttps://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-teacher-wasn-t-half-as-nice-as-yours-seems-to-be/
Napoleon BY MIROSLAV HOLUB
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51047/napoleon
Stoicism on teaching
https://www.alphabetpublishingbooks.com/stoicism-relevant-teachers/
The Lesson by Roger McGough
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-lesson/
Mrs Stein By Bill Dodds
https://www.giggleverse.com/?gv_poem=mrs-steinThe Supply Teacher by Allan Ahlberghttps://www.poemhunter.com/allan-ahlberg/
Where in the world are teachers most respected
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/12/teachers-where-most-and-least-respected/
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46063947
https://www.anefore.lu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/EURYDICE-THE-TEACHING-PROFESSION.pdf
European teacher salaries and other statistics
https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/07/05/teachers-pay-which-countries-pay-the-most-and-the-least-in-europe#:~:text=Annual%20gross%20starting%20salaries%20of%20teachers%20(2020%2F2021)&text=Leaving%20aside%20Luxembourg%2C%20the%20annual,than%20half%20the%20German%20figure.
Maya Angelou about her teacher:
https://www.boredteachers.com/post/celebrities-teachers-changed-their-lives
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Laughter”. Listen to them as they discuss the different kinds of laughter and they affect both the laugher and those around them. Is it the best medicine? What do the stoics say about it? Are all jokes universal and appropriate across time and space? What is a laughing epidemic? Listen to the episode to find out and hopefully catch a few laughs.
Your Laughter by Pablo Neruda
https://allpoetry.com/Your-Laughter
10 types of laughter
https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/5-types-of-laughter.htm
Nietzsche: Laughter of the Herd and Laughter of the Height
https://eternalisedofficial.com/2020/11/28/superhuman-laughter-nietzsche/
Why do we cry sometimes when we laugh?
https://www.salusuhealth.com/news/2016/09/why-do-we-cry-when-we-laugh.html
The sad clown:
https://fherehab.com/learning/comedians-depressed-mental-illness
The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemichttps://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/12274127
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “guilt”. Listen to them as they discuss the differences between guilt, regret, shame and remorse. What is collective guilt and what purpose does it serve? What is survivor guilt? Do different races, genders and people in general feel less or more guilt than others? Should they? There’s some great poetry, too!
Do women feel more guilt than men?
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35788411
WHITE BOY PRIVILEGE BY Royce Mann
https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/13/us/teen-slam-poet-white-privilege-hln/index.html
Stoic strategies for dealing with guilt
https://thebeautyinbeinginsignificant.com/stoicism-management-guilt/?utm_content=cmp-true
Sociopaths and guilt
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/sociopathy/what-is-a-sociopath-symptoms-traits-treatments/
Guilt by Robert Frost
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/812
A Hymn to God the Father by John Donne
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44115/a-hymn-to-god-the-father
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “change”. Listen to them as they discuss the reasons why humans might embrace or resist change and how change in individuals and institutions can be implemented. Of course they bring to you what religion says about change and how stoicism regards it. You can also expect lots of poetry that explores the topic. Enjoy!
Choosing Strategies for Change by John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger
https://hbr.org/2008/07/choosing-strategies-for-change
Journey by Rupi Kaur
https://images.app.goo.gl/tJVBCTZEZaLKoYUW8
The Man Watching by Rainer Maria Rilke
https://www.barefootguide.org/poetry-of-change.html
The arrival of spring by RG Gregoryhttp://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/rg_gregory/poems/22110Theory by Kurt Lewin: Unfreeze-change-refreeze
https://www.mindtools.com/ajm9l1e/lewins-change-management-model
Who Makes These Changes? By Jalal ad-Din Rumi
https://allpoetry.com/Who-makes-these-changes-
The Song of the Potter - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
https://discoverpoetry.com/poems/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-song-of-the-potter/?utm_content=cmp-true
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Music”. Listen to them as they discuss why music is powerful, where the oldest piece of music came from and why music is banned by some regimes. They also share their favourite songs and read to you poems about the power and beauty of music. Enjoy!
Quote on music in a car:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/222581-i-love-the-way-music-inside-a-car-makes-you
Music is a vicious cancer:
https://theweek.com/culture-life/music/why-chechnya-has-banned-music-that-is-too-fast-or-too-slow
The oldest (surviving) piece of music in the world. Video within the article:
https://theweek.com/culture-life/music/why-chechnya-has-banned-music-that-is-too-fast-or-too-slow
Give Me The Flute by Khalil Gibran (altered translation)https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326975-Give-Me-The-Flute-by-Khalil-Gibran
Cultural differences in scale and harmony
https://www.hoffmanacademy.com/blog/our-list-of-music-scales-from-around-the-world/
Why music moves us
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/why_and_how_music_moves_us#:~:text=The%20limbic%20system%2C%20which%20is,when%20our%20ears%20perceive%20music.&text=The%20chills%20you%20feel%20when,of%20pleasure%20and%20well%2Dbeing.
https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/how-does-music-make-you-feel
Erbarme Dich by Johann Sebastian Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBeXF_lnj_M
The Atlantic Article: Inside the Heads of People Who Don't Like Music
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/03/please-dont-stop-the-music-or-do-stop-the-music-i-dont-really-mind/519099/
Music by John Miles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb6XtyFNawM
Waiting for a girl like you by Foreigner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dWmKSj5HjI
Hero by Lissie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6bo14aOe1I
Music and Stoicism
https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/6i8yjb/music_is_antistoic_what_do_you_think/
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Grief”. Listen to them as they discuss what human beings might grieve and their personal experiences with it. They read some heart-warming texts to you and tell you about some traditions around grief around the world.
For Grief by John O’Donohue
https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2015/12/john-odonohue-for-grief.html
In Lieu of Flowers by Shawna Lemayhttps://transactionswithbeauty.com/home/10poemsforlossThe case against the five stages of grief
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-history/its-time-let-five-stages-grief-die
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/mar/05/mary-frances-oconnor-the-grieving-brain-grief-psychology
School of Love by Nizar Qabbani
https://www.heliotricity.com/nizar-qabbani-poetry/
Public Grief
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-the-science-of-public-grief/
Grief rituals around the world:
https://ideas.ted.com/11-fascinating-funeral-traditions-from-around-the-globe/
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Beauty”. Listen to them as they explain what the word means to them and what they consider beautiful. Why do humans gravitate toward shiny objects? What makes them deem something or someone beautiful? Of course, there’s poetry too!
Why humans like shiny things (theory):
https://www.thecut.com/2014/01/maybe-we-love-shiny-things-because-were-thirsty.html
What makes things beautiful, novelty or familiarity?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-of-choice/202110/how-beautiful-things-make-our-lives-better
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? By William Shakespeare
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-shakespeare
Pied Beauty BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gerard-manley-hopkins
Bizarre beauty standards around the world and in different eras:
https://steemit.com/life/@ruth-girl/ten-weird-beauty-standards-from-around-the-world
https://elle.in/bizarre-beauty-trends-history/
Change in beauty standards over time
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/beauty-standards/
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/07/health/body-image-history-of-beauty-explainer-intl/index.html
Social Media and Beauty Standards
https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/social-media-and-body-image.html
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/73271
Cosmetic Surgery
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2023/01/18/cosmetic-surgery-is-on-the-rise-with-technology-and-hollywood-is-at-the-centre-of-it/
https://www.isaps.org/discover/about-isaps/global-statistics/reports-and-press-releases/global-survey-2022-full-report-and-press-releases/#:~:text=The%20report%20shows%20a%2011.2,non%2Dsurgical%20procedures%20performed%20worldwide.&text=The%20report%20shows%20a%20continuing,over%20the%20last%20four%20years.
Stoic attitude to Beauty
https://dailystoic.com/a-stoic-response-to-beauty/
Still will I harvest beauty where it grows by Edna St. Vincent Millay
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/148565/still-will-i-harvest-beauty-where-it-grows
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Jealousy”. Is there a difference between jealousy and envy? What nuances might there be between these words in English vs. other languages and cultures? Why is the colour green associated with jealousy? Can jealousy be used for good or is it always a toxic, negative feeling? How jealous are you and how does jealousy manifest for you?
The green-eyed monster:
https://poets.org/poem/othello-act-iii-scene-iii-o-beware-my-lord-jealousy
Othello Syndrome
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2507072/Paranoid-woman-Debbi-Wood-suffering-Othello-Syndrome-forces-fianc-lie-detector-test.html
And God Wept:
https://philipchircop.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/and-god-wept/
Is jealousy genetic?
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2013/nov/01/jealousy-genes
Where jealousy comes from:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/where-does-jealousy-come-from
Delilah by Tom Jones banned
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/feb/01/delilah-welsh-rugby-union-choirs-banned-from-singing-tom-jones-hit
How legal system sympathises with male jealousy-
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29612916
A Lover’s Envy by Henry Van Dyke:
https://allpoetry.com/A-Lover%27s-Envy
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Attraction”. What does it mean to be attracted to someone? Can you control who you are attracted to? What has our childhood got to do with who we are attracted to? What do some animals do to attract a mate? Scientifically, what are the three elements of a happy relationship? Listen and find out more.
Definition from WebMD:
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/what-types-attraction
Bowerbirds:
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100364
Mystery circles:
https://www.livescience.com/57869-animals-with-weird-courtship-rituals.html
The Ring of the Dove:
https://www.imagomundi.com.br/espiritualidade/hazm_ring_dove.pdf
To the Black Beloved by Langston Huges
https://poets.org/poem/poem-black-beloved
Unusual ways to become more attractive:
https://www.jonbrooks.com/how-to-be-more-attractive/
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Authenticity”. Listen to them as they discuss the connotations of the word in the contexts of business, relationships and as individuals.
Words of the year
https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year
The Man in the Glass by Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr.
http://www.inspirationpeak.com/cgi-bin/poetry.cgi?record=155
On Self-knowledge by Khalil Gibran
https://poets.org/poem/self-knowledge
Authentic leadership
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathymillerperkins/2023/05/27/authenticity-the-key-to-great-leadership-and-how-to-embrace-it/
What the stoics say
https://www.redalyc.org/journal/6945/694573720008/html/
Recommended reading on how to be authentic:
https://www.betterup.com/blog/authentic-self
I am Not I by Juan Ramon Jimenez
https://allpoetry.com/I-Am-Not-I
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CORRECTION: Paulo Coelho does NOT come from Spain. He comes from Brazil.
In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, Rama and Tony discuss the topic of “Luck”. Listen to them as they discuss the connotations of the word “luck” and debate its existence. Of course they have some poetry for you too.
If you would like to check out some of the readings on this episode, you may find them here:
Are some people born lucky?
https://www.furman.edu/news/are-some-people-born-lucky-a-ut-psychologist-argues-inequalitys-genetic-roots/#:~:text=She%20writes%20that%20some%20people,a%20greater%20risk%20of%20homelessness.
Marcus Auelius’ take on luck:
https://www.themarginalian.org/2021/09/19/marcus-aurelius-luck/
“May the Road Rise to Meet You”
https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/may-the-road-rise-meet-you-irish-blessing-meaning
Good and Bad Luck by John Hay
https://allpoetry.com/Good-and-Bad-Luck
Luck is Not Chance by Emily Dickinson
https://poets.org/poem/luck-not-chance-1350
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, listen to Tony and Rama discuss the topic of “Wealth”. Listen to them as they discuss the connotations of the word “wealth” and its synonyms. Tony, being the mathematics and business teacher, puts into perspective what it really means to be wealthy today. They read you verses from the Bible and the Quran about the topic and touch upon how wealth is seen in Sufism and stoicism. Of course they have some poetry for you too.
If you want to check out some of the readings on this episode, you may find them here:
The Vanity Of Wealth By Samuel Johnson
https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/works/o4986-w0670.shtmlLove's Millionaire by Florence May Alt https://discoverpoetry.com/poems/florence-may-alt/loves-millionaire/If you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback, please send us email at:
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In this episode of the “Words That Make Us” podcast, Rama and Tony explore the premise of “Reputation”. They kick off by reading a poem by Emily Dickenson about being a nobody. They discuss their different understandings of the term “reputation”. Is reputation the same as fame? Is it synonymous with “ego”? What role do different societies play in shaping one’s reputation and good standing? What does religion say about slander? Is public shaming ever acceptable?
Monica Lewinsky’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/monica_lewinsky_the_price_of_shame/transcript
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, listen to Tony and Rama discuss the topic of “Failure”. Listen to them as they define different aspects and connotations of failure, discuss who has the biggest effect on whether children succeed or fail, and why we feel shame when we fail.
If you want to check out some of the readings on this episode you might find them here:
Defeat by Khalil Gibran:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58713/defeat-56d23d566b4c3
Waiting for love by Avicii:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ncIVUXZla8
Success after failure in businesses:
https://www.business.com/articles/never-giving-up-9-entrepreneurs-and-millionaires-who-failed-at-least-once/
Failure by Amos Russel Wells:
https://pickmeuppoetry.org/failure-by-amos-russel-wells/
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, listen to Tony and Rama discuss the topic of “AGEING”. They discuss how different people, genders and cultures (including the Blue Zones) experience ageing. They explore the Japanese concept of Ikigai and how everyone can adopt it. Expect to learn another (less inspiring) Japanese term–Kodokushi. The conversation takes a brief dark detour but ends on a high.
Kaitlin Moran’s article on being middle-aged:
https://www.redonline.co.uk/red-women/blogs/a34159053/caitlin-moran-middle-aged/
What Makes a Good Life? https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?language=en
The BBC experiment on “reversing” ageing:
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/magazine/what-if-age-is-nothing-but-a-mind-set.html?_r=0
Growing Old by Matthew Arnold:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52311/growing-old
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In this episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, listen to Tony and Rama continue talking about “SILENCE”. Prepare to hear about hormones, silence in relationships, melancholic silence, poetry by Khalil Gibran and poetry by Charlotte Brontë, whose poem leads them down a rabbit hole about music and toxic masculinity! You will like the last poem; it wraps everything up very neatly.
If you want to check out some of the things mentioned in this episode, try these links.
An attempt to explain the verse from the Quran: https://sunnahonline.com/library/women-and-islam/419-why-two-women-witnesses
What this counselling website says about silence:
https://www.pathwaysprofessional.org/
John Cage’s “music”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWVUp12XPpU
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In this first episode of the "Words That Make Us" podcast, listen to Tony and Rama explore the topic of "SILENCE". They read you poems from different eras and backgrounds, discuss how Sufis regard silence in comparison to how it is regarded in Stoicism, all while reflecting on their own views on the different types of silence.
If you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback, please send us an email at:
