A practice for listening across difference
Being More Human is an invitation to understand ourselves more honestly, listen to others more deeply, and stay open to perspectives shaped by lives different from our own.
Where it began
For much of his life, Schone Malliet understood “more” as something to do, achieve, prove or acquire. Writing A Piece of Sky changed that. The deeper opportunity, he realized, was not to do more. It was to be more human: more authentic, more vulnerable, more curious, more compassionate, and more willing to understand the why beneath his own story and the stories of others.
Being More Human grew from that realization.
A practice, not a finish line
Being More Human does not claim that anyone has arrived at a better version of themselves. It is a practice. It invites you to bring more of your real self into your relationships and conversations, including your uncertainty, mistakes, fears, experiences and convictions, while making enough room to hear another person do the same.
It begins with one belief: understanding does not require agreement. We can hold different views, come from different experiences, and still choose curiosity over judgment. The goal is not to erase differences. It is to understand them well enough that difference does not automatically become division.
Five things the practice asks of us:
Authenticity: show up as you are.
Vulnerability: share what is true, including what you are unsure of.
Curiosity: ask what shaped someone’s view.
Compassion: listen for the person behind the position.
Non-judgment: hold your opinions loosely enough to hear another.
From hearing to practice
Being More Human can begin with a book, a conversation or a keynote, but it is meant to move from watching, reading or listening to taking part.
What a good conversation looks like
A successful conversation does not have to end with changed minds.
Two much smaller sentences can mark real movement:
“I never really thought about it that way.”
“After listening and understanding your journey, I can consider another perspective.”
Neither asks anyone to give up a belief. Both show a wider view, and the possibility that understanding another person can sit alongside disagreement.
Why it matters
The quality of an organization’s culture is inseparable from the quality of the conversations its people can have. When people cannot disagree constructively, candor fades, trust wears down, teams retreat into silos, and hard issues go unresolved. Being More Human offers a framework for healthier disagreement without forcing consensus.
For individuals: deeper self-awareness, curiosity, empathy and comfort with vulnerability.
For organizations and communities: trust, belonging, collaboration, leadership, better conversations, and a greater capacity to move forward across difference.