How often do we stop to ask what lies underneath the things we believe?

In this episode I talk with with internationally recognized social work scholar Jan Fook about critical reflection — the practice of examining the assumptions, values and experiences that shape how we see the world.

Jan argues that real reflection requires more than thinking carefully. It means becoming curious about our own assumptions, suspending judgment, and learning to ask questions that open a conversation rather than close it down. Together, they explore why we so quickly put people into categories, how those categories can prevent us from truly hearing one another, and why curiosity and non-judgmental listening matter in a deeply divided world.

Our conversation moves well beyond social work into questions that affect all of us: Can we learn to recognize our own biases? Can reflection help us have better conversations about race, politics and social change? And can understanding our own sphere of influence give us more agency than we think?

As Jan puts it near the end of our conversation, meaningful reflection involves “hearts and minds and souls” — our emotions, our assumptions and, underneath them all, our values