#56 “The last thing a fish would ever notice would be water.” - Gillian Tett
From 3 Takeaways
In this episode, Gillian Tett, an anthropologist and editor at large for the Financial Times, explores how anthropological insights can illuminate contemporary business and cultural trends, such as the marketing of KitKat bars in Japan and the dynamics behind the 2008 financial crisis. Tett also discusses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on society, and shares her perspectives on emerging phenomena like cryptocurrencies, gaming, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from her new book, "Anthr
Key Takeaways
- Culture shock isn't just a pandemic leftover; it's a chance to redefine our everyday rituals and connections.
- In an age of digitization, we blindly hand tech power to a few, while feeling lost in their complex realm.
- Anthropology isn't about finding bones—it's about empathy, learning from difference, and questioning our own cultural assumptions.
- Rising powers like China challenge the status quo; America's role is evolving, impacting the future of the global order.
- A fish can't see water; to understand ourselves, we must explore other cultures and uncover our own biases.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Julian T. (person)
- Anthro Vision (book)
- COVID-19 pandemic (event)
- Financial Times (company)
- Donald Trump (person)
- Nestlé (company)
- The Big Short (media)
- Harvard (company)
- Columbia (company)