Episode 121: The Stigmatization of Play

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.
— Richard Lingard, A Letter of Advice to a Young Gentleman Leaving the University Concerning His Behaviour and Conversation in the World
This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.
— Alan Watts

As we enter adulthood, we naturally leave behind many of the vestiges of childhood. We outgrow old clothing, our interests evolve and our social circles expand and adapt. But in this process, as adulthood often prepares us to work, we often lose the time and apatite for play. This week, Evan Rasch joins us to discuss the role that playing has in childhood and what it could offer in an adult perspective. Do we close ourselves off to new perspectives and creative problem solving when we abandon play as a lens through which to see the world? Do we limit our own abilities to appreciate the world when we limit play to the youngest members of our culture? At what point do most of us stop playing and what does this signify about our larger beliefs and values?

Episode 121: The Stigmatization of Play
Kip Clark and Evan Rasch

Episode 120: Why We Hesitate to Discuss Our Beliefs

I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea, changing a belief is trickier. Life should be malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can’t generate. Life becomes stagnant.
— Chris Rock as Rufus in the movie "Dogma".
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.
— C.S. Lewis

Especially in recent weeks, many of us have been confronted by the realities which operate in spite of, beneath and because of our beliefs. We have been forced to engage in dialogue with those who do not share our perspectives and the clash of numerous systems of belief has been prominent in our discourse as a society. But even under less confrontational circumstances, many of us do not share our beliefs. This week we welcome Mark Ashin to examine why beliefs represent such vulnerability in us and what we might gain in more honest, respectful discussion of what we believe and why we believe it. How could more open discussion promote more empathy? Are some of our most strongly-held perspectives so deeply woven in our subconscious that we cannot articulate them clearly? Is there a judgment inherent in the crossroads of beliefs that do not align with one another?

Episode 120: Why We Hesitate to Discuss Our Beliefs
Kip Clark and Mark Ashin

Episode 119: Joining a Community

Especially in times of shared confusion, disagreement and public unrest, it is worth considering the communities we all belong to. We may be aware of some of their traits, but do we appreciate how communities function as disparate groups?  This week we welcome Qossay Alsattari to discuss ideas surrounding entry into a community. As we settle into our respective roles, we do not always appreciate the strange times associated with changing or joining a community. How can we be more welcoming to newcomers and what should we observe and respect in the communities we join? Are we able to enact change after joining a new community?

Episode 119: Joining a Community
Kip Clark and Qossay Alsattari

Episode 118: The Lens, The Stranger - Insomnia

Though our modern era is filled with sleeplessness and poorly-rested citizens, not all of us suffer from the condition of insomnia, which heavily impedes one's ability to sleep. Because sleep is so essential to our bodily and mental health, it plays a clear role in our survival and success as people. As a result, insomnia presents a curious case of the unnatural - holding us just out of reach of one layer of human behavior and habit. This week, we welcome C.J. Clinkscales, who has chronically dealt with insomnia, to discuss his thoughts. In what ways does insomnia create an element of artificiality? Why might it make us feel unnatural or monstrous? What do we learn about our thought patterns when we're left alone with them for hours in this vulnerable state? And how can we incorporate it into our unproductive views of "heroic" sleep deprivation?

Episode 118: The Lens, The Stranger - Insomnia
Kip Clark and CJ Clinkscales
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Episode 117: On the Eve of the 2016 Election

The exhaustion and disillusionment in our country is palpable. This is not about the political decisions made tomorrow, but about how we reflect on the state of our country and what we might learn. This is not an episode about our individual political leanings, but a personal request regarding a societal, national issue.

Episode 117: On the Eve of the 2016 Election
Kip Clark