SOTN

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021 ~ Euan Semple

Paolo and I had great fun last night recording the latest edition of our podcast. I hope you have as much fun listening to it.

SOTN 33

Let us know in the comments below.

6 thoughts on “SOTN”

Martyn J Bull says:

January 7, 2021 at 2:28 pm

Euan, where can we hear your podcast please?

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1. Euan Semple says:
  
  January 7, 2021 at 2:37 pm
  
  Thanks for spotting that Martyn. The embedded player looks fine in the post preview but not when published! Link added.
  
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John Davies says:

January 7, 2021 at 4:27 pm

Excellent. I shall listen in the car in the morning. If you sense your ears burning about 10 o’clock, it’ll be me laughing, sometimes groaning and occasionally arguing with you both. I always come away with some nuggets.

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Euan Semple says:

January 7, 2021 at 4:31 pm

Excellent. You must let us know at which bits you laugh, moan and argue!

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John Davies says:

January 10, 2021 at 12:33 pm

What an absolutely cracking episode! Not too much tech (always good in my opinion) and a good discussion of the social media platforms and of walking. Why would anybody go for a walk listening to an audiobook? So, I did have a bit of an argument with Paolo at that point. Isn’t our obsession with the speed of our devices linked to our inability to go for a slow walk without any external inputs beyond our own stream of thought (not external) and our surroundings; and the trend for competitive walking, cycling, climbing etc? Aren’t we a collaborative species so who or what are we competing with? I did like your point about the joys of local walks. I do much the same and would add to that my half an hour in the shed with a cup of tea at the end of most afternoons. There is a rhythm and a cycle in life for which these practices provide a window?
Having a very small following on social media, I abandoned it not because I was particularly bothered about being liked or approved or commented upon. I found it completely oppressive in that it provoked many distressing emotions ranging from jealousy to anger, mockery, feelings of superiority, memories of dreadful decisions and actions in the past, and only occasionally a real sense of pleasure in someone else’s achievement. So I stopped. I keep the accounts going because occasionally people do contact me that way. Reading that back, it sounds a bit grandiose but I really did find the whole experience very painful.

So I’m in the process of going back to writing letters, emails, and using the much neglected postcard. I’m working on picking up the telephone more often and I need to do more on that.

The digital revolution has been hugely powerful and rewarding and I don’t think anyone would want to return to a time before that. However, As you have pointed out many times, it can be used for bad things as well as good. Keep the podcast coming, it’s up there with the best.

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1. Euan Semple says:
  
  January 10, 2021 at 4:51 pm
  
  Thanks for the comment John, much appreciated. Interesting you appreciated the lack of tech because I was worried that we were straying away from the original SOTN focus. We like to start with the net, and recent events or developments, as the trigger and then see where we wander to from there.
  
  I used to listen much more to books and podcasts on walks than I do now, in fact I have suspended my Audible membership for the first time in nearly twenty years as I wasn’t listening to enough books. I agree, though, that listening to anything now distracts me and I feel less need to be distracted.
  
  I agree that social trigger all of the emotions that you mention. They can also trigger appreciation of beauty and appreciation of human courage. I will miss the positives but they were increasingly outweighed by the negatives.
  
  Have you seen Slowly? I have been using that for a while to encourage slower, more pen-pal like interactions and have been enjoying it so far.
  
  Thanks for listening!
  
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