Episode Details

Arise joins Few on the pod to roll with his punches as the two (mostly) dudes sit and have a conversation that is mostly about dudes trying to find their way in today’s societies. They first have a discussion of the more universal and broad experience of tangible forms of trauma and abuse (physical, sexual, financial, etc) versus intangible (gaslighting, coercive control, emotional/ambient/environmental abuse) and how the latter can be more damaging. In particular, when they contribute to the inner core of shame, worthlessness, and self-loathing that can partially be a result of the disordered person identifying within themselves the same characteristics of the abuser they were hurt by. Then they move on to drugs, addiction, and suicidal ideation and behaviour as means of escape from one’s own inner pain or bleak reality that underlies their delusional fantasies. Philosophy makes a surprise cameo as both the contributors on this pod and some contributors from others have all turned towards philosophy to provide the external structure and scaffolding to interpret reality that they don’t feel authentically from the inside out. We then move on to Arise’s great question of whether disordered people need a saviour or to be rescued, or to what extent and how they need connection and regard from others. Finally, they round out the discussion by talking about patriarchy and the varying messages men are given from varying quarters on who they’re supposed to be and the difficulty of integrating what are at different times contradictory expectations. As always, we hope that the positive, optimistic tone is appreciated by all listeners who are also on their own healing journeys struggling through the darkness.