Words That Make Us

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-...

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 je...

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. Definitio...

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?...

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:...

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...

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 do...

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 G...

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 en...

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 wan...

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...