#04 - Third Spaces: Rediscovering Local Community

In this episode, Rebecca Radziejeski joins me in an unscripted conversation for a dive into the philosophical and existential rabbit holes of wonderland. I hope you will enjoy the topics as much as we do. We hit on ideas ranging from the issues with transliterating vocabulary, descriptive vs prescriptive rules, generational divides, the "lone wolf" and "self made man" myths, the ethics of frugality, the absence of American repair culture, and more.CHAPTERS(0:01:54) Americization of our names(0:06:39) Descriptive vs Prescriptive Rules (0:10:41) Generational Divides(0:15:28) Thought Experiment - Raising Neolithic Children(0:17:47) Societal Failures in Mental Health(0:22:23) Can We Make Informed Decisions?(0:27:56) Learning To Vet Information(0:30:28) Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays and Modern Advertising(0:35:15) The Ethics of Frugality(0:42:18) Absence of Repair Culture(0:46:05) Problematic Lone Wolf Imagery, "Self Made Man"(0:58:04) Rebecca's Media References

Where do we find community in a world that is increasingly moving away from religious organization? Brenden Ambrose joins me to discuss Ray Oldenburg's concept of "Third Spaces" in response.RESOURCESThe Great Good Space by Ray Oldenburg, 1989BRENDEN'S MEDIA CHOICESRalph Vaughan Williams - TheLark Ascending (violin concerto piece)SleepToken -  Take Me Back To Eden (rockalbum)CHAPTERS(3:43) Brenden Introduction(15:07) - Introduction of concept of "3rd Spaces"(31:43) - Community Outreach(42:32) - The Value of Real In-Person Connection(57:42) - Impact of being confined to our "1st Spaces"(1:06:08) - Connection to Social Liberation Movements(1:17:18) - the toll of eliminating frictions from social interactions(1:48:40) - Recap(1:54:05) - Brenden's Media Choices

John Souki joins me in discussing the impact of the complete disconnect from our food sources in first world society, and how it shapes way that we think about and interact with one of the most fundamental components of our daily existence. EXTERNAL RESOURCES Article - The Way We Live In The US Is Not Normal Book - Thinking Fast And Slow, by Daniel Kahneman Podcast - "New AI - Artificial Intimacy", on Brené Brown's "Unlocking Us" REFERENCES Maslow's hierarchy of needs FDA approval to sell supplements Land Use, Soil Depletion https://chriskresser.com/depletion-of-soil-and-what-can-be-done/ https://ourworldindata.org/land-use-diets CHAPTERS (0:00:00) Introduction (0:04:28) Conversation Start (0:07:30) Dietary backgrounds (0:18:49) Mass Production, Consumerism (0:38:01) Progress, Removing Friction (0:41:00) Systems not Communities (0:45:40) Absorbing Morals From Our Environment (0:48:37) Awareness Above Action, Avoiding Negative Feelings (0:59:20) Limits Of Social Causes (1:10:21) Food Waste (1:12:47) Mindful Abundance Mindset (1:22:57) Taking Another Life (1:33:43) Devaluing Through Ease Of Access (1:40:28) Relative Scarcity (1:45:39) Inventing Problems To Find Purpose (1:58:31) Value of a Slower Society (2:06:44) Conclusion

Danny Badorine joins me in discussing the role of negative feedback in our culture and the question "are people doing their best?" We delve into exploring what the multiple meanings that "doing your best" can convey, the role that an understanding of a truly "free" will plays in asking this question, the value of "rock bottom" in motivating people to adjust their behavior, the cultural epidemic of narcissism, the boundary between self care and self indulgence, the value of allowing the presence of painful emotions to exist in our lives, and more. FACT CORRECTION My reference to slavery was attempting to recall Qatar bringing in Indian labor and stealing their passports. Danny's book recommendation: ⁠Autobiography Of A Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda Brené Brown podcast referenced on this topic: Part 1 Part 2 CHAPTERS (0:00:00) Introduction (0:03:07) Bus Call (0:08:43) Importance of Confrontation (0:17:06) Are people doing their best? (0:22:51) Will vs Free Will (0:36:48) Free Will and Sociopaths (0:43:21) Would you oppose slavery? (0:46:05) Role of intelligence and cultural programming (0:57:24) Negative feedback in dog training (1:01:32) Just trying to feel better (1:10:38) The value of rock bottom (1:18:18) My personal need for negative feedback (1:23:45) Assertive vs Aggressive communication (1:30:25) The "Feel Good" bubble, Self Care vs Self Indulgence (1:36:41) Embracing pain in life (1:45:54) Letting go vs giving up hope (1:49:35) Empathy and tribalism (1:56:32) Conclusion

In this first “official” episode of the Naked Apes podcast, I am joined by John Souki as we discuss generative AI, the utility and abuse of pitch correction (auto-tune), the role of technological advancements in cheapening the quality of commercially-successful creations, the difference between “improvement” and technological advancement, and more. You can find Souki on Instagram at @johnsouki To hear more, visit nakedapes.substack.com

Last week, at the invitation of my world religions teacher from my time at Belmont University a decade ago, I gave a talk to two sections of her World Religions class about what spirituality means to me while being an atheist. I have re-recorded it for people who expressed curiosity at the subject material, aiming to make a case for how I arrive at a concept of “god” through an analytical understanding of the natural world that rejects any kind of supernatural element. EXTERNAL RESOURCES:⁠“Waking Up” App⁠ * Guided meditations (including introductory course) * “free will” argument from Sam Harris (“Theory” tab, bottom) * Lectures on nature of mind (“Theory” tab) * Lectures for ideas to actively apply to daily life (“Life” tab) * Alan Watts’ entire audio catalogue (“Theory” tab) ⁠Brené Brown – “Unlocking Us” Podcast (on Spotify)⁠ * (episode topic: are people actually doing their best?) Rami Shapiro * ⁠Book – ⁠⁠Holy Rascals⁠ * ⁠Audiobook – ⁠⁠How To Be A Holy Rascal⁠ (totally separate set of information) Stephen Batchelor books (Buddhist ex-monk) * ⁠Buddhism Without Beliefs⁠ * ⁠Confession of a Buddhist Atheist⁠ * ⁠Living With The Devil⁠⁠“You Are Two”⁠ (5-minute YouTube video) * what happens when the left and right brain can’t talk to each other? ⁠The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat⁠ - Oliver Sacks (Book/Audiobook) * Explores a number of neurological disorders, revealing (to me) all of the constructs of everyday consciousness we are unaware of being pieces of a precariously balanced whole ⁠Chimp Empire⁠ – Netflix * 4-episode series following the activities of two tribes of chimps in Uganda, and the striking parallels to human behavior “I Was Almost A School Shooter” – Aaron Stark’s story, and how he has since prevented multiple suicides and shootings * ⁠TED Talk⁠ (7 minutes) * ⁠Spotify Podcast⁠ (1 hour; includes graphic descriptions and language, listener discretion advised) CHAPTERS: (0:00:00) Introduction (0:02:41) My background (0:05:46) Thought Experiment: Multiple Personalities (0:08:37) Memories In Dreams (0:09:50) How Computers Work (0:12:12) Thought Experiment: The Rubber Band Ball (0:14:28) Tiny Yet Huge (0:19:02) What is "Me"? (0:24:21) Bending Physics (0:26:53) Free Will (0:28:22) Determinism vs Fatalism (0:34:53) Back To The Beginning (0:39:39) Where Is My Consciousness? (0:45:03) The Source is Irrelevant (0:47:04) Mysticism (0:50:17) Psychedelics (0:54:00) Free Will and Flat Earth (0:56:31) Integration Into Life (1:03:33) Overestimating Free Will (1:07:09) Hating People (1:09:11) Cultivating Curiosity (1:11:21) Deconstructing Consciousness (1:16:01) The Role of Wonder (1:20:39) Resources