In this episode, I discuss how we can move into a more decolonized world where people are consciously facing the programming they've been subjected to since childhood. We often don't realize we're acting certain ways because these patterns were planted so early that we couldn't question them, or when we did question things, we were punished or manipulated back into conformity.I explore how our parents wanted what was best for us, which usually meant following the rules, living comfortably, and avoiding struggle. The focus has been on getting wealthy and not looking poor, which has shaped so much of how we interact with each other.As we shift away from capitalism and external motivations, I sometimes catch myself asking logical questions about how this will all unfold, and I wonder if that's still coming from a colonized mindset where everything needs to be predictable and planned out. But there's also value in imagining the magical possibilities and going to places we've never seen except maybe in books or movies.I get into how most conversations are really about extraction. When people ask "what do you do," they're not genuinely asking about your life. They're asking about your work life, your money life, your status. There's so much embedded in that question beyond just curiosity.I talk about how dangerous our approach to hiring and networking has become, where we ask seemingly innocent questions but we're really digging for information we can use. Everything becomes about money, status, and what you can extract from someone. Even questions like "where are you from" or "who inspires you" are ways of gathering intel about someone's background, motivations, and how you might be able to exploit their talents or connections.The whole system is built on manipulation and emulation rather than being your authentic self. I call out how ironic it is when people complain about AI being trained on existing models when literally everything we do and say is based on models of other people's lives, things we've seen before, read before, experienced before. We're all just regurgitating things in our own way, and most people aren't even doing it creatively.I share how books like "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and "The Art of War" have been bestsellers because they teach manipulation rather than authentic connection. These books are about turning yourself into something else to get what you want rather than just showing up as you are.But what would conversations look like if we weren't trying to extract things from people? What if we asked questions that elicit storytelling instead of resume reciting? Questions like "how has life unfolded for you?" or "what three things have been most exciting about your life so far?" or "what are you most curious about these days?"I get excited talking about creativity and originality. When someone creates something from their own inspiration, whether it's art, music, clothes, whatever, it literally wakes up my soul. If it's original, it's automatically dope to me.I end by wondering what other questions we could ask that would make conversations genuinely worth having. If you're only going to have one conversation with someone, why not make it meaningful? What are these new ways to communicate when we're not operating from that extractive, colonized mindset?Timestamps:00:00 Moving into a decolonized world06:33 How conversations are really about extraction11:20 Books that teach manipulation vs authenticity17:00 Why people mold themselves after others22:00 The predictability of the current system26:00 Questions that elicit genuine storytelling29:00 What creativity and originality mean to me31:00 Making conversations worth having__________________________________Stay in Connected the FrequencyNewsletter + How to Contributehttps://beacons.ai/frequencyoffree