Space to Think
Space to Think
E24. The Human Behind the Work with Professor Guy Claxton
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E24. The Human Behind the Work with Professor Guy Claxton

On thinking well and staying curious.

He thought well…

The next episode in The Human Behind the Work is now live. I had the pleasure of sitting down with someone whose work has shaped how many of us think about learning, intelligence and the mind.

Guy Claxton is a cognitive scientist, writer and speaker whose career spans more than five decades. He’s written over 30 books, including Building Learning Power and The Future of Teaching and has spent much of his life exploring the nature of intelligence - not as a fixed trait, but as something dynamic, embodied and deeply human.

In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to “think well” and how definitions of intelligence often miss the mark. We consider the creative process of not thinking, and why walking or showering might be more productive than you think

Something that’s lingered with me is this metaphor he shared from Ted Hughes - fishing in your own unconscious. And there’s a beautiful line Guy offers, one he hopes might sit on his gravestone:

“He thought well… and he may be wrong.”

It captures the heart of this episode: humility, curiosity and inquiry from a lifelong practice of learning.

This conversation was originally recorded as part of the World Education Summit and you can now access four years of Summit content free at www.weslegacy.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, I think you’ll also enjoy my conversation with Will Ord.

Space to Think
E23. The Human Behind the Work with Will Ord
Before we get into today’s conversation, there’s something I think you might enjoy…
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