Some Usefel Links To Get You Started

There seems to be a lot of information, so where I start?

I don't want to swamp you with information, so I'll start by giving you a few links to some short videos introducing some of the concepts. To begin with I'll stick to becoming aware of our modes of communication, including the mediums we are using to communicate like social media, but also the way we speak to each other in general, and a bit of information on economics.

So here's a link to a TED Talk I found useful about how to have a better conversation:

https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation?language=en

And here's a short video with Eli Pariser speaking about Internet personalisation and online filter bubbles:

https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?language=en

I want people to start thinking about what it means to be having conversations while in their own online filter bubbles.

How it might change our perceptions of how we see different points of view. After all, the more we spend time in our own online filter bubbles, the less exposure we have to those who don't think as we do.

Is it making us less tolerant of other points of view?

Is it making others less tolerant of us?

Is it hampering our ability to see common ground with people we disagree with on the whole?

With economics, I've just found this wonderful website where you can find up-to-date news and information on the new wave of thinking in economics, you can check it out here:

https://www.michaelwest.com.au/

And if you are interested in how some of these issues are playing out here in Australia, I strongly encourage you to take a look at what these guys are doing:

https://gameofmates.com/

Here's a short introduction to get you started:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ni2pAZ_k-w

That should be plenty to get you going. Economics isn't about left or right politics. It's about what works. A good, strong, sustainable economy benefits us all. There should be nothing preventing us from having sensible, rational conversations about it regardless of our political persuasions.

Economics isn't about how you feel. It is a field of study that is dependent on facts and information. It should be viewed without passion or political bias.

I'm hoping that with a little bit of thought and discussion about how we relate to these issues we can have a better, clearer, more productive conversation on these issues.

If you are interested in probing a bit deeper into these issues, I highly recommend you get your hands on 'Game of Mates: How Favours Bleed The Nation' by Cameron K. Murray & Paul Frijters. It's a great place to start.

You can get the book here:

Amazon
Booktopia
iBooks

Or at your local book shop. If you're in Hobart, I recommend seeing Richard at Cracked & Spineless New & Used Books. He's already ordered all of the books I'll be writing about and knows where to get them. ;)