mission statement - between a duck? - format - plan a party
Mission Statement
Our goal is to foster discussion and thought about the deep questions that are difficult to bring up in casual conversation, to encourage everyone to address these issues, to give people a better understanding of themselves and their world, and to cause a greater appreciation of different cultures and viewpoints.
What’s the difference between a duck?
Sometimes a story is the best response to a question:
“An idea descended upon him like a delightfully unexpected ray of sunshine breaking through cloudy frustration. For some time he had been searching for ways to circumvent the barrier of cordiality in interpersonal interactions that keeps us from going deeper than small talk. He wanted to turn acquaintances into friends, making each moment we spend getting to know each other more meaningful. so he decided to simply pen “deep” questions on pieces of poster-board and place them strategically at his next party.”
“When he sauntered through the crowd that night, casually dropping in on conversations, he found his guests constantly engaged in the dynamic discussions and deep discourses he had hoped to inspire by his questions. Many friends complimented the creative idea, asking when the next such event would occur. So he did it again the next night, with equally encouraging success.”
“One question seemed to be particularly popular, consistently causing partygoers a wide swath of emotions ranging from confusion and frustration to contemplation and laughter. These reactions seemed to sum up the purpose of the whole idea: to get people thinking differently and interacting in a more rewarding manner. The question was simple and spontaneous, added at the last minute to lighten things up a bit. It was the question that drives us all to seek more understanding: “What is the difference between a duck?”
Format
Every month we send one question to eight writers from different backgrounds and social networks. Each writer is given two weeks to answer the question in whatever form feels most appopriate and asked to share it on the site. These often consist of an essay and a video response, both of which are posted on the forum for viewing and contemplating. Readers are encouraged to respond and to come up with new respsonses themselves. Big Talk wants to encourage everyone they possibly can to address these issues, especially those who normally don’t examine them. In doing so, people will hopefully better understand themselves and the world.