What happens when we deliberately put ourselves in places where our assumptions no longer work?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I’m joined by Wesley Warshawer to talk about curiosity, discomfort, listening, and what we can learn when we step outside the bubbles that shape how we see the world.
Wesley spent years traveling across the United States and internationally while continuing his work remotely. He wasn’t trying to prove a political or social point. He wanted to test his assumptions by talking to people whose backgrounds, communities, and experiences differed greatly from his own. What he discovered was often humbling.
We talk about moments in South Korea and Togo when perfectly normal questions or behaviors took on a very different meaning in another culture. Those experiences reminded us that ignorance is not the same as malice, and that our assumptions are often far more visible once we leave the environments that created them.
Our conversation also turns to polarization and the way binary questions can exaggerate perceived differences between people. Wesley explains why broader, more open questions often reveal far more common ground than we might expect.
For me, this conversation is also about listening. How deeply are we willing to listen to someone whose lived experience differs from our own? And how willing are we to surround ourselves with people who challenge our thinking rather than constantly reinforce it?
Growth can be uncomfortable. Sometimes we have to risk getting something wrong, looking foolish, or discovering that an assumption we have carried for years is not true.
So where might you need to burst your own bubble to grow?
Wesley Warshawer is a business analyst in Silicon Valley’s semiconductor industry, a Fulbright Scholar, essayist, podcast host, and speaker.
He loves his work. For a living, he analyzes situations with data and communicates about it. But outside of semiconductors, he is passionate about exiting the safety of his “bubble” to learn. After a profound epiphany on a study abroad semester to India at 19 years old, Wesley has looked for wisdom in travel. Travel can be across the world or across town. It can be as simple as visiting a new neighborhood, trying a new restaurant, or meeting a new person. Outside your comfort zone, you are a sponge to personal insight and growth. Through his writing and speaking engagements, Wesley shares his epiphany moments and encourages audiences to leave the comfort of their bubble to learn more about themselves.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
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