So have you ever watched those rapid-fire witty conversations and shows like the marvelous

Miss Maisel and thought to yourself, why can't I be that clever or quick or funny or smart?

I know I have so many times and here's what fascinated me about today's conversation.

Those perfectly polished exchanges that we see on screen might actually be holding us back

from having truly meaningful conversations

and the messy and perfect conversations we're having, they might be exactly what we need.

I mean, what if the key to better conversations wasn't about being more polished,

but actually embracing that beautiful mess that real human connection naturally creates?

And what if knowing this one truth could

transform every interaction you have from this moment forward? When speaking with others,

so many of us feel like we're the only ones experiencing anxiety, awkwardness, or that

nagging feeling that we're somehow doing it wrong, but the truth is, that's not only completely

normal. It's actually a sign that you care deeply about connecting with others. My guest today is Alison Woodbrooks, a professor at Harvard

Business School. She teaches an award-winning course called Talk, and has just released her

fascinating new book, Talk, The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being being ourselves. And her groundbreaking research on conversation

has been featured everywhere from the Wall Street Journal

to Scientific American.

And what she shared in our conversation

about the science behind great conversations,

it challenged a lot of what I thought I knew.

And I've been earning a big part of my living

in conversation for close to 14 years now.

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