Intellectual vitality – a spirit of open and rigorous dialogue and a commitment to curiosity over certainty – can often feel like an abstract ideal that is difficult to put into practice. While the classroom might appear to be the most direct application of these skills, one can also engage in intellectual vitality through light-hearted one-on-one everyday conversations. In a packed Sanders Theater, the Intellectual Vitality Initiative co-sponsored an event with the Dean of Students Office to spotlight Jordan Klepper, the co-host of the Daily Show. Though Klepper does not typically exercise intellectual vitality in his comedy show, as he noted at the event, his work has given him deep insight into how to connect with a deeply divided American populace.

The night began with questions from David J. Deming, Kirkland House FacultyDean and Harvard Kennedy School professor, on Klepper’s experience. Klepper emphasized that conversation in the spirit of open inquiry and curiosity can be difficult to practice in the political rallies that he attends, but he has experienced a few promising moments. He recalled one of them– a conversation he had after attending a Trump rally with ‘Brick Suit Guy,’ a perennial attendee of MAGA events who wears a suit resembling a border wall. Though the two disagreed across many issues, they spent three hours together in conversation, learning to respect each other as individuals with strong guiding values rather than political opponents in a zero-sum debate; they did not come to an agreement – something intellectual vitality anticipates – yet they developed a greater understanding of one another.

Deming and Klepper then spoke about polarization in American opinion, encouraging the audience to take in new information without feeling the necessity to form a judgment. Especially in discussing events or ideas with others, he advised that “judgment is a killer” of progress in conversation. When Deming asked how Klepper would recommend that we engage in these difficult conversations for the sake of intellectual vitality, he responded that we “have to start with openness,” a key tenet of Intellectual Vitality.

Klepper emphasized that authentically learning from others requires embracing failure, uncertainty, and vulnerability in conversation and that one should be prepared to concede part of their argument. As he put it, “Uncertainty is sexy!” Often, the biggest challenge is taking the first step into the unknown—starting a conversation with someone whose views differ from your own. In these moments, humor can serve as a powerful and disarming tool, helping to build the trust that is essential for productive dialogue.

(February 2025)