The Human Risk Podcast19 Joulu 2021

Béatrice Otto on Fools

What do fools have to do with managing human risk? On the face of it, they’re likely to be a driver, rather than a solution. But when we use the term to describe in the context of court jesters, then the answer might be very different.

As my guest on this episode, Béatrice Otto, helps me to understand. She’s the author of a book called Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around The World, which explores the history of the role. I’m fascinated by this from a human risk perspective because the comedy deployed by jesters provided them with a very effective vehicle for highlighting flaws in human decision-making. By permitting the jester to make jokes about what they had observed, the monarch or emperor would receive feedback they wouldn’t get from elsewhere.

In our wide-ranging discussion, we explore the role of the fool, how they came to be appointed, the limits of what they could say and some of the cunning techniques they deployed to get their point across. Béatrice explains how the role came about, why the fool no longer exists and why perhaps it should.

My thanks to my former colleague and regular listener to the show, Simon Rogerson, who first pointed out to me the relevance of court jesters to risk management.

To find out more about the issues we discuss on the show:
The book Fools Are Everywhere - https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3615397.html

Béatrice’s website - https://www.foolsareeverywhere.com/
 To sign up for her newsletter - https://www.foolsareeverywhere.com/

The job description for corporate fools - https://www.foolsareeverywhere.com/blog-fools-job-description/

If you missed the previous episodes featuring comedian and impressionist Josh Berry:
Part One - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/josh-berry-on-comedy-satire-impressions-part-one/
Part Two - https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/josh-berry-on-comedy-satire-impressions-part-two/

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(368)

Robert Kerbeck on making a career out of lying

How can lying earn you millions? If you’re an actor and good at impersonating people, then the answer is that you become a corporate spy. That’s the unexpected career path followed by my guest Robert ...

21 Loka 20231h 11min

Dr Constance Dierickx on Meta Leadership

Why can senior leaders — usually in post as a result of experience and expertise — often make mistakes? The answer might seem counterintuitive; it’s precisely because of their experience and expertise...

13 Loka 20231h 15min

Sebastian Lees on Humanizing Technology

Why is some software a real pain to use? How does it happen, and what can we do to make it not happen? On this episode, I’m speaking with Sebastian Lees, an experienced software developer with a keen ...

7 Loka 20231h 4min

James MacPherson and Elisa Lynch on Trickle Down Safety

What is trickle-down safety? On this episode, I’m finding out with two safety specialists who help me to explroe what it means and why it’s relevant to other fields. By safety, I mean the kind that sa...

1 Loka 20231h 8min

David Wales on Risk Communication & Customer Service

What we can learn about customer service and being more human from the fire service?On this episode, I’m speaking with David Wales, who used to work in the fire and rescue service and has now switched...

24 Syys 20231h 8min

Ros Atkins on The Art of Explaining

How can we be better at explaining things? On the 250th episode of the podcast, I’m joined by a very special guest who has made explaining an art form and has just published a book called ‘The Art of ...

13 Syys 20231h 11min

Hannah Williams on The Art of Live Scribing

What is livescribing? On this episode, I speak to an artist with a unique creative talent. Hannah Williams is the founder of Scribble Inc. and her talent is that she can summarise presentations and di...

10 Syys 20231h 13min

Dr Erica Thompson on Escape from Modelland

Why are we so reliant on models, how can they lead us astray, and what can we do about it?On this episode, I’m exploring models. Of the mathematical kind, not the fashion or toy kind. Models interest ...

7 Syys 202358min