Finding Common Ground: David Deighton on the Art of Talking to Strangers

Catherine Llewellyn welcomes David Deighton, creator of Triptych Dialogue, an art experiment exploring how we can bridge societal divides by changing the way we talk to one another. David's work brings people together in person, often around difficult subjects such as politics, using art, active listening and the senses to create deeper connection.

David shares how his understanding of impermanence developed through years of meditation and study, including time spent at a monastery in India with a Burmese monk. He describes his practice of using rocks as reminders of impermanence, suffering and connection, and how these ideas became part of his artistic work.

They explore the origins of Triptych Dialogue, including an encounter with a medieval triptych at the Victoria and Albert Museum. David explains how the missing parts of the artwork prompted him to think about what is absent from our conversations, and how this led him to begin speaking with strangers about politics.

David describes his approach to these encounters, asking three questions, listening without debating and looking for the emotional common ground beneath political differences. He explains how these short conversations can transform both participants, and how his own anger and sense of division have changed through the practice.

#Impermanence #Connection #ActiveListening

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Where our conversation went:

02:00 David's relationship with impermanence and why it keeps returning as a reminder

04:25 The rock that became a daily reminder of impermanence, suffering and connection

07:05 How the rock represents change, transformation and the interconnectedness of everything

09:30 Walking meditation, carrying rocks and the practice of letting them go

10:45 Impermanence as a metaphor for existence, renewal and our relationships