As many of us are encouraged to purchase, acquire and own items and objects around them, how do our possessions affect us? What is our relationship to them and what rationale do we give to keep them around? This week, we welcome Ayelet Ronen to discuss the ways in which our ownership of things may actually work in the reverse: that to an extent, they own us. We create space for them, take out insurance policies, polish, guard and at times personify them. But how do possessions prevent or limit certain actions and lifestyles? Are we at our happiest, best or healthiest because of our belongings?
Episode 231: Rejection, Overheard
Of the many great, palpable fears that connect us as human beings, the fear of rejection is high among them. But how often do we have the strange experience of learning why we were rejected? This week, we welcome Ian Cooper to explore and review these ideas as their described by popular YouTuber, Hank Green. Do we ultimately want to know these humbling reasons? Do they help us to grow? How does rejection change when it’s done anonymously?
Episode 228: To Be Truthful
Truth represents a foundational element in human life. Whether religious, personal, psychological or scientific, many of us live our lives in pursuit of or relationship to truths around us. We try to define, contain and create them. But what does it mean to live in a truthful way? Is it as simple as expressing truthful thoughts to others? This week, we’re joined by Dan Farina to reflect upon what it means to be truthful. What do truthful actions look and feel like? Is our society structured in a “truthful” way?
Episode 225: The Wrong Route of Dreaming
In our youth (and often in adulthood), we're asked what we want to be when we grow up. How crucial might "what" be in that framing of our futures and the approach we encourage young people to take? Does it focus primarily on an occupation as a destination rather than a lifestyle or set of values to uphold? This week, we welcome Matt DiBiase to help explore the concept. Do we see this question as a comfortable form of simplicity, easily digestible for young minds? How might these early conceptions of life influence someone’s future experiences?
Further Reading:
Matt’s Music Site
Episode 217: Escapism vs. Happiness
In the most basic senses, it is human to move towards pleasure or comfort and away from pain, difficulty and hardship. But where do these impulses and instincts intersect? This week, we welcome Dan Farina to explore the relationship between escapism and happiness. Is it common to conflate or confuse the two? Does a distinction between them require a certain cultural narrative or sense of self? Is one ever a more important focus than the other?
