Ep50: Are You Listening or Just Waiting to Speak - Reclaiming Curiosity

Are you listening, or are you just waiting to speak?On this episode of Richly Told, the hosts tackle one of the most vital yet overlooked skills of our time: communication. After years of travelling globally and navigating boardrooms across different cultures and continents, Richard has learned that real communication isn't about winning arguments. It's about curiosity, learning, and understanding why people believe what they believe.But something has shifted. The world feels meaner. People are more defensive, more self-interested, more willing to be aggressive online and in person. The hosts explore why this is happening, how internet culture has changed us, and what it means that we've collectively lost the ability to be curious about each other. They also get real about their own struggle with this: one host admits to becoming meaner in the last five years, abandoning old patterns of putting everyone else first. They've had to learn to protect themselves while still staying open to understanding others.This isn't a masterclass in communication. It's a conversation between two people actively working through these challenges themselves, asking hard questions about where we're headed and what it takes to stay human in a world that feels increasingly hostile. They talk about asking better questions, hearing versus listening, and what happens when you pause mid-episode to actually work through disagreement together.If you've felt frustrated by conversations that go nowhere, exhausted by conflict, or worried about the state of human connection, this episode is for you. Plus, there's a new release schedule, new merch, and Richard's birthday to celebrate.