The Let’s Talk Better campaign is built on a series of principles, summed up as the Declaration of Let’s Talk Better, below. This is our view based on our thinking and experience to date, but this will change in some respects going forwards, as life and the times we live in are not a constant.
- ‘All of us can learn to be better at talking and listening to fellow humans’*;
- ‘The only way that we are going to achieve genuine closeness is to have better conversations with each other’*;
- The value of conversation runs across society, from boardrooms to bedrooms, from schools to nursing homes, from parliament to the pub;
- Difficult issues can be resolved by cultivating understanding and the ability to have positive conversations;
- Cultures of silence and taboos do harm. It is often important to #breakthesilence and to talk;
- We need to talk better and more consistently about the truly big issues where action is imperative and do not allow them to be marginalised by transitory headlines. Then more issues that matter will be resolved, from climate change to toxic workplaces, and more;
- Talking better helps to build wellbeing, improve relationships, deepen friendships and shared understanding, reduces loneliness, helps mental health, and should fight bigotry and discrimination;
- Better conversations include listening to each other in a calm, open and respectful way on all topics. There are limits, however. Dr Charlotte Fox Weber has spoken of a current trend towards ‘living out loud”. She refers to it as “a broadcasting of emotions that can be overly exposing when people feel that they have to tell their entire story to everyone. Sometimes you can speak your truth, you can know your truth, without having to say everything to everyone”. Some matters are, consequently, best shared with and addressed by qualified expert coaches and therapists;
- Sharing relevant stories – as Stacey Dooley has around mental health and the young, as Nihal Arthanayake has in Let’s Talk, as Max Dickins has in Billy No-Mates, and Johan Hari has in Stolen Focus – is important;
- Change is achievable. Pressures such as new technology and changes to work-life balance do not inevitably mean that people’s attention continues to erode, and that the art of conversation continues to decline. We can innovate and help people to talk more and in better ways, to achieve better mindsets and over all wellbeing.
* From one of our inspirations, Let’s Talk, by Nihal Arthanayake
Something must be done to help present and future generations. So #LetsTalkBetter starts now.
Zeenat Noorani and Darren Weale, 2 April 2023
Let's Talk Better C.I.C 