Episode description

This week’s positive news:

Karissa opens the podcast with wonderful news from this year’s COP16 UN Biodiversity Summit. Then, Arielle dives into why practicing intellectual humility can help us face our own biases, open up to different perspectives, and enrich our understanding of the world.

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Transcript

Theme music

Karissa:

Hello, and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up. I’m Karissa.

Arielle:

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.

Karissa:

Hello again! We’re back with another episode of the podcast to share the solutions from The Optimist Daily this week. How are you doing today, Arielle?

Arielle:

Yeah, I’m doing all right. Unfortunately, my partner’s family dog passed away this week, so…

Karissa:

Oh no…

Arielle:

That’s been a bit of a dark cloud over my week. But, you know, I’m trying to stay positive and appreciate everything that we have. So yeah, how about you?

Karissa:

I’m sorry to hear that. It’s always hard watching our pets grow older and pass on, but they serve such a great purpose in our lives and are such wonderful companions. Over here, I’ve been okay, but the world does feel a bit dark.

Arielle:

I know…

Karissa:

But we have to keep trucking on and you know there is optimism even if you have to look pretty hard and we’re here to really excavate those rays of light and those solutions that are making a difference around the world. And that kind of brings us back to our Changemaker series.

Arielle:

And it makes it even more inspiring that people are out there making the world a better place despite, or maybe because of, all the negativity. So, without further ado, this week we are covering Third Act, which empowers Americans over 60 to use their collective wisdom, resources, and influence to champion climate change, defend democracy, and build powerful intergenerational partnerships for a brighter, more just future.

Karissa:

And this week in the series, we also covered HeartMath, which empowers individuals and organizations to create balance, resilience, and well-being through science-backed tools that harmonize the heart and mind, building a more compassionate and connected world. Definitely go check that out on the Optimist Daily if you want to find out more about these great organizations. But I guess that kind of leads me to my solution Arielle, if you don’t mind.

Arielle:

Yeah, go for it.

Karissa:

So, COP16 just took place the other week, and for me personally, the news of what happened there was kind of drowned out with the chaos of the U.S. election and other global events. I wanted to rewind for a minute and take a look at the solutions that came out of this international summit. The title of the solution is UN Biodiversity Summit Agrees to Include Indigenous Voices in Conservation Decisions.

The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity just closed with a revolutionary agreement to formally integrate Indigenous peoples in nature protection decisions, marking a watershed moment in environmental history. The decision announced in Cali, Colombia, creates a new body that will give Indigenous tribes a substantial voice in global conservation strategies. For many, this is a long-overdue recognition of the critical role that Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices play in protecting biodiversity and combating climate change.

Following these talks, delegates announced the agreement to form this Indigenous body, prompting passionate celebrations among Indigenous leaders. According to Sushil Raj, Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Rights and Communities Global Program, this new organization strengthens representation, coordination, and inclusive decision-making and creates a space for dialogue with parties to the COP.

Arielle:

Wow, I can imagine that this action really strengthens Indigenous representation in international debates.

Karissa:

Absolutely. And it also recognizes their longstanding contributions to biodiversity management. We’ve written on the Optimist Daily plenty of times about Indigenous people’s ability to contribute to conservation in amazing ways, and how they just really know how to do it right.

Arielle:

Yeah, it’s part of their longstanding tradition.

Karissa:

Absolutely, yeah. So it only makes sense that, on a global scale, we include their voices. The inclusion of Indigenous voices in biodiversity decisions is definitely viewed as a critical step towards fulfilling obligations made under the Convention on Biological Diversity, or CBD, which has been in effect for 26 years without officially involving Indigenous and local people.

Arielle:

Oh my gosh, 26 years. This is a much overdue step then.

Karissa:

Oh yeah, it definitely is. And Susana Muhamad, Colombia’s environment minister and COP16 president, welcomed the decision, saying, “With this decision, the value of the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities is recognized, and a 26-year-old historical debt in the Convention on Biological Diversity is settled.”

Arielle:

Wow, okay, so this is really great in theory, but how are they going to implement these voices in practice?

Karissa:

So, the Indigenous body will be co-chaired by two representatives, one elected by regional UN parties and the other by Indigenous and local communities. To ensure diversity and inclusion, the agreement requires that at least one co-chair comes from a developing nation, with gender balance taken into account. A great step in the rigreat step in the right direction of course. Another significant achievement of COP16 was a binding rule mandating firms to share the financial gains from using natural genetic resources in their products.

And this provision, which resulted from difficult talks between industrialized and developing countries, mandates firms to pay a charge when using genetic information derived from animals, plants or microorganisms for commercial purposes. So, this is huge just in terms of giving back to Indigenous people and communities because many lifesaving medicines come from the rainforest.

So, COP16 imposed a 0.1% revenue fee for firms that use genetic resources derived from animals, plants, or microorganisms, with 50% of that revenue going directly to Indigenous communities. These proceeds will empower these communities, including women and youth, to finally share in the profits.

Arielle:

Yeah, that’s amazing.

Karissa:

In addition to establishing the Indigenous body, delegates in Cali also passed a resolution acknowledging the importance of people of African heritage in biodiversity conservation.

Arielle:

That’s fascinating, and it sounds like these inclusive approaches are trying to foster more comprehensive and long-term conservation methods.

Karissa:

Absolutely. It was really great to see all this come out of COP16, which was definitely a big step forward in the struggle to safeguard biodiversity. But, there is a lack of strong financial support for these measures, highlighting challenges that still remain. The findings from this meeting are expected to impact future UN climate discussions, which will move the focus to supporting renewable energy projects to combat climate change. As the globe grapples with the pressing need to fund and implement successful environmental initiatives, COP16 serves as both a step forward in engaging underrepresented voices in conservation and a reminder of the financial obstacles that remain. There’s more on the Optimist Daily about these financial struggles. But as you can imagine, it does cost a lot of money to implement. But, we do have this new representation on the international stage. So, I think that is a great move forward.

Arielle:

Mmhm. And maybe, continuing these talks people will perhaps be open to changing their minds about how they feel about funding these initiatives… and I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m trying to like segue into my solution (laughs).

Karissa:

Well, what’s your solution, Arielle?

Arielle:

So today I’m going to talk about the article titled What is Intellectual Humility? How Intellectual Humility Unlocks Learning and Understanding. This is actually an older article we published before, but it’s pretty timely considering everything that’s going on.

So I’m going to start off explaining or summarizing this article with a classic story that really sets the stage. In Indian folklore, there’s a timeless tale about six blind men encountering an elephant for the first time.

So what happens in the fable or in the story is that each man feels a different part of the elephant. One touches the trunk, one touches the tusk, and another touches the tail, and they each think the elephant is something totally different. The one who’s touching the tail says that it seems like it’s a snake, while the other insists it’s more like a tree trunk, and I think this is a great metaphor for how we all experience reality in bits and pieces. It’s just showing that we all tend to see reality from our own narrow perspectives.

Psychologist Tenelle Porter points out that when we actually listen to other perspectives, even disagreements can become constructive.

Karissa:

Oh yeah, that’s so true! Sometimes just hearing someone else’s angle makes you go, “Oh, I never saw it that way before.”

Certainly, I’ll make sure to keep the wording as close as possible to the original text you provided while refining for clarity and continuity in the podcast format. Here’s the continuation from where you specified:

Arielle:

And that’s the essence of intellectual humility. It’s more than just being modest; it’s about being open to new ideas and willing to learn from others. Tenelle Porter, who teaches psychology, believes that intellectually humble people make better learners and are fantastic at keeping conversations civil.

Karissa:

Yeah, and in today’s world, as we mentioned, we could definitely use a lot more of that.

Arielle:

Totally. Especially in this era of information overload and social divides, intellectual humility is like a tool for real knowledge and personal growth. Laszlo Bock, Google’s former VP of hiring, once said that intellectual humility is one of the key traits they looked for in job candidates. He put it pretty bluntly, saying, “Without intellectual humility, you are unable to learn.”

Karissa:

That’s a big statement, but I get it. If you’re so set in your ways, you’re not really open to growing or adapting.

Arielle:

Yes, exactly. And that brings us to Carol Dweck’s idea of a “growth mindset.” Dweck’s research on growth versus fixed mindsets is huge here. People with a growth mindset are more willing to take risks and try new things because they don’t see intelligence as something fixed. Porter points out that people often fear this growth mindset idea because it basically means accepting that they might not have all the answers—and they may feel like they’ve lost in the intellectual lottery.

Karissa:

Yeah, I can see that. But there’s so much freedom in a growth mindset. You’re not stuck—you’re open to change and learning new things. It’s like a built-in resilience tool.

Arielle:

Mmhm. And it’s also about wisdom. A 2012 study by psychologists Ethan Kross and Igor Grossmann found a strong link between intellectual humility and wisdom. They discovered that recognizing your own knowledge limitations actually boosts social well-being, which makes sense because you can’t really be wise if you think you already know it all.

Karissa:

Right, so being humble doesn’t just make you smarter; it makes you better for the people around you too.

Arielle:

Right—and it also helps with navigating biases. We all like to think we’re unbiased and objective, but the fact is, we’re not. Porter emphasizes the importance of acknowledging these blind spots that we all have. It’s by facing our own biases that we open up to different perspectives, leading to a richer understanding of the world.

Karissa:

Yeah, so it’s like getting past our “prejudice blind spots.” Imagine if everyone did this—we’d have way fewer heated arguments and way more actual conversations.

Arielle:

Yes, I agree. Intellectual humility can really be a bridge in our polarized world. Just think of the kind of dialogues we’d have if we could actively listen to the other side without rushing to defend our own view. People are just so defensive lately. And it’s not just about “agreeing to disagree.”

Karissa:

Mm-hmm.

Arielle:

A lot of people will just end arguments being like, yeah, we’ll just agree to disagree. But It’s about finding common ground, even if it’s just mutual respect.

Karissa:

Mhmm.

Arielle:

And, empathy is also a part of this equation. Writer Lisa Miller explored the power of empathy in her piece, Guns and Empathy. Emotional empathy is powerful, and intellectual humility brings another layer. It’s hen we’re actually curious and open to others’ views, even if we don’t initially agree with them.

Karissa:

Yeah, that reminds me of a quote I mentioned recently from my high school English teacher: “True intelligence is being able to understand the other side’s arguments.” I’ve always held that very near and dear to me. And I think that’s so true. And that’s definitely something I personally tried to practice. Of course, it can be hard. Intellectual humility is a skill that definitely needs to be developed.

But you know, Arielle, combining empathy with intellectual humility is like a double-strength connection power. So instead of just feeling for someone, we’re also willing to understand their viewpoint.

Arielle:

Yeah. It’s definitely hard sometimes, but that’s what leads to genuine mutual respect. To sum it up, intellectual humility isn’t about watering down your beliefs or never disagreeing; it’s about being open to new perspectives, challenging your biases, which is probably one of the hardest thing to do, and connecting with people in a way that’s truly constructive.

Karissa:

I love this—be open, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to learn from everyone around you.

Arielle:

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Karissa:

Thanks for sharing that, Arielle.

Arielle:

No problem, and thanks for sharing your solution as well, I found it fascinating.

Karissa:

We also had some other fascinating solutions from the Optimist Daily this week that you can find on our website, optimistdaily.com, including…

Arielle:

Medicaid expands to cover traditional healing practices for Native Americans in four states, Andy Kim wins New Jersey Senate seat, making history as first Korean American senator, Seven states secure abortion rights as voters push back against restrictive measures, and Five tips for managing political stress—expert advice for protecting your mental health. What else do we have, Karissa?

Karissa:

So, we have a couple more solutions that focus on some positive outcomes of this recent U.S. election. So, we also have, Washington voters upholding the groundbreaking climate law—a victory for climate action, Historic first: two Black women to serve together in the United States Senate, resilient community building, staying safe in times of uncertainty, And, of course, the Changemakers of the Week series, featuring Third Act and HeartMath. Definitely go check them out!

Arielle:

And if you want to start your day off right, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter to get our solutions straight to your inbox.

Karissa:

We also share more on our social channels. Find us at Optimist Daily on all platforms, including Threads and Pinterest. The only difference is on X, where we’re known as @OdeToOptimism.

Arielle:

We’re a small team of optimists working super hard  these days to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission to spread optimism, please click the link in the show notes to learn how you can do that.

Karissa:

Absolutely—and support doesn’t have to be financial. Even just recommending our podcast to a friend, leaving a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forwarding a story link to a friend, or sharing a solution on your socials— Anything would be a big help, and that extra optimism and solutions-oriented thinking is definitely needed these days.

Arielle:

On that note, I hope everybody, all of our listeners and readers have a great weekend. And you too, of course, Karissa. It’s always lovely sharing solutions with you each week.

Karissa:

Yeah, definitely! Have a great weekend, and we’ll be back of course with more solutions next week.

Both:

Bye!