264. Show Your Receipts: Communicating in a Post-Truth World
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Think Fast Talk Smart
4.7 • 805 Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why curiosity is the best way to start a conversation.
No matter how wide political, cultural, and generational divides seem to grow, Fareed Zakaria is convinced: communication has the power to connect.
Zakaria is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, a Washington Post columnist, and author of Age of Revolutions, a book about the seismic societal shifts that define modern history. In his decades of translating complex geopolitical issues for broad audiences, he’s found the key to navigating change and conflict. “The most important thing is being genuinely curious,” he says, “genuinely believing that everybody has a story to tell. Everybody has something to teach you. Everybody has a lesson you can learn.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Zakaria and host Matt Abrahams explore how curiosity opens the door to conversation. Whether we’re communicating across ideological divides or bridging gaps between our past, present, and future, Zakaria shows why maintaining connection starts with a willingness to learn.
Episode Reference Links:
- Fareed Zakaria
- Fareed’s Book: Age of Revolutions
- Ep.161 Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You're Talking To
Connect:
- Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
- Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
- Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
- Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
- Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
- Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn
Chapters:
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (02:19) - The “Age of Revolutions”
- (04:25) - Do Facts Still Matter?
- (05:56) - How To Persuade
- (08:00) - On-Camera Communication
- (10:28) - Making Radical Ideas Mainstream
- (11:57) - When To Change Your Mind
- (13:24) - Helping Adolescents Communicate
- (18:59) - The Final Three Questions
- (22:46) - Conclusion
********
Thank you to our sponsors. These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.
Unleash your Superhuman potential with AI that meets you where you work. Learn more at superhuman.com
Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi, Matt here. I am so excited that so many people around the world have tried our AI Coach Matt tool. |
| 0:06.4 | For Valentine's Day, we've got a gift for you. When you share Coach Matt with a friend, |
| 0:11.4 | colleague, or loved one, you'll get extra minutes as our thank you. Go to FasterSmart.I.O. |
| 0:16.8 | slash learning and click on the pop-up. While you're there, sign up for our Think Fast Talk |
| 0:21.6 | Smart Learning community, where you'll get access to video lessons, learning quests, discussion boards, |
| 0:26.5 | and book club opportunities. Again, that's Faster Smarter. Dotio slash learning. Now a word from |
| 0:32.8 | one of our sponsors. Their support allows us to bring you quality content free of charge. |
| 0:38.5 | Hi, Matt here. Career coaching often comes through our workplaces, which can be a great starting |
| 0:44.0 | point, but sometimes you want space to focus on your priorities, not your organizations. That's where |
| 0:49.5 | strawberry.me comes in. It's career coaching you choose for yourself. You answer a few quick questions, |
| 0:56.0 | get matched with a vetted coach, and in many cases, you can start within 24 hours. You choose the |
| 1:01.9 | coach, you decide the goal, and you get to talk honestly about what actually matters, whether that's |
| 1:06.9 | a promotion, a pivot, burnout, or even leaving. There's no HR involved, no performance |
| 1:12.6 | review lens, and if it's not the right fit, you can switch coaches. What I appreciate is the |
| 1:18.1 | sense of agency. When you're feeling stuck, waiting rarely helps. If you've been thinking, |
| 1:23.6 | something needs to change, you don't need permission to explore that. Go to strawberry.me slash |
| 1:28.9 | TFTS. It's coaching focused on you. Think of it as therapy for your career. |
| 1:38.8 | The best way to connect and truly communicate is to be curious and respectful. My name is Matt |
| 1:47.1 | Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. |
| 1:51.7 | Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today I'm really excited to speak with Farid Zakaria. |
| 1:58.4 | Farid is the host of CNN's flagship international affairs program, |
| 2:02.4 | Farid Zakaria GPS. And he's a weekly columnist for The Washington Post. He specializes in |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Think Fast Talk Smart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Think Fast Talk Smart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.