Unpacking Ideas
By Zach Stehura
To read along with us visit www.unpackingideas.com/podcast
Unpacking IdeasJul 10, 2023
33. Dante Alighieri on Inferno Pt.1
In this episode we unpack the Inferno section of The Divine Comedy by Italian Poet Dante Alighieri.
This Books Explores...
- The Structure of Dante's Hell
- The Medieval stance on Suicide
- Why Fraud is considered the worse sin
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (John Ciardi Translation)
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Phil Kobasov
Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
0:00:00 Introduction
32. Thomas Paine on Tyranny
In this episode we unpack "Common Sense" by English-American Political Activist Thomas Paine.
This Books Explores...
- The Functions of Society and Government
- The Evils of Monarchy
- The Path Forward for the American Colonies
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jared Shoup
Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
0:00:00 Introduction
0:05:01 Historical Context of Common Sense
0:13:37 Thomas Paine’s Background
0:20:48 The Differences Between Society and Government
00:25:00 Government as a Necessary Evil
00:27:28 Anti-Monarchy Sentiments in The Old Testament
0:30:11 Parallels Between The 12 Tribes of Israel and The 13 American Colonies
0:32:01 The Origins of Kings
0:35:35 Paine’s Critiques of Hereditary Succession
00:37:35 Paine’s Critiques of Constitutional Monarchy
0:42:13 The Disease of Monarchy
0:44:19 Paine’s Ad Hominem Attacks
0:45:14 The Present State of American Affairs
0:46:26 Why Separation from England is Necessary
0:47:40 England as “The Mother Country”
0:50:00 Why America Doesn’t Need England for Protection
0:51:16 Why America Doesn’t Need England for Trade
0:52:20 Logistical Nightmare of Communication with England
0:53:52 Why Now is the Time for Separation
0:54:58 The Paradoxical Correlation between a Nation’s Population and Military Size
0:58:00 “Relapse More Wretched Than the First”
0:59:56 Paine’s Ideas in What an American Government Should Look Like
1:04:06 America’s Naval Potential
1:07:44 Paine’s Call to Unite America
1:10:35 The Impact of “Common Sense”
1:13:05 Wrapping Up/Outro
31. Carl Jung on The Significance of Dreams
In this episode we unpack several essays from Swiss psychologist Carl Jung's Collected Works on Dreams.
These Essays Explore...
- The Differences between Freudian and Jungian Dream Interpretation
- Why Common Symbols and Themes Show up in our Dreams
- The Benefits of Making Dream Material Conscious
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
Dreams (excepts from collected works) by Carl Jung
Memories, Dreams, and Reflections by Carl Jung
Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Aiden Moore *For one-on-one dream interpretation sessions with Aiden visit AidenMoore.com
Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:19 Differences Between Freudian & Jungian Dream Interpretation
00:05:09 Beginner's Mind
00:08:14 Assimilation vs. Accommodation
00:12:30 Taking up the Context of the Dream
00:19:45 The Dream as Repressed Wish-Fulfillment
00:24:11 The Language of the Unconscious
00:29:47 Causal vs. Final Explanations of Dreams
00:35:05 Compensatory Dreams
00:37:31 Prospective Dreams
00:41:39 Little Dreams vs. Big Dreams
00:44:07 Archetypes/The Collective Unconscious
00:49:07 The Objective vs. Subjective Interpretation of Dreams
00:55:30 Practical Application to Dream Interpretation
00:56:56 The "Punny" Character of Dream Images
01:00:12 Resisting the "Correct" Interpretation of a Dream
01:03:43 Slowing Integrating Unconscious Material
01:06:03 Repressed Material Will Follow You Until You Face It
01:08:46 The Empathy & Tact needed to Interpret Dreams
01:10:26 Resisting the "Correct" Interpretation of a Dream
01:13:38 The Consequences of Ignoring Recurring Dreams
01:18:10 Wrapping Up/Outro
30. The Bhagavad Gita on Nonattachment
In this episode we unpack The Bhagavad Gita from The Mahabharata written circa 500-200 BCE.
This Book Explores...
- Karma Yoga & Non-attachment
- The Link Between Right Understanding and Right Action
- The Interconnectedness of All Things
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
The Bhagavad Gita (Translation: Gita Press)
The Bhagavad Gita (Translation: Eknath Easwaran)
Bhagavad Gita Lecture Series by Gandhar Mandlik *youtube*
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Gandhar Mandlik YogaPoint.com Online/In-Person Yoga Courses and Teacher Training
Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Gandhar’s Personal Relationship to the Gita
04:36 Background of the Gita Story
08:56 All Problems are Interconnected
12:16 False Identification with the Physical Body
15:56 Cosmic Consciousness
18:22 The Trap of Sensual Desires
25:43 Right Understanding & Right Action
27:36 The Two Paths to Self Realization (Monk & Householder)
29:20 Karma Yoga / Dharma
32:20 Nonattached Action
35:00 Contributing to the Ecology
40:37 Bhakti & Jnana Yoga
48:07 Nondualism /The Cosmic Form
57:05 Characteristics of the Self-Realized Person
59:49 Service to Others as a key for Fighting Depression
1:00:47 Wrapping Up/Outro
29. Friedrich Nietzsche on Guilt & Bad Conscience Pt.2
In this episode we unpack the Second essay in German Existentialist Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's classic work "The Genealogy of Morals" from 1887.
This Essay Explores...
- The Origins of Punishment
- The Psychology of Guilt
- The Link Between Civilization and Bad Conscience
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Samuel Le Coutour
Theme Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
00:00 Intro
03:16 Questions Nietzsche is Trying to Answer
04:12 Origin of Punishment vs. Utility of Punishment
08:25 Punishment Hardens the Individual
10:24 The Etymology of the word “Guilt”
11:01 The Creditor/Debtor Relationship
12:32 Suffering as Compensation
13:48 Suffering as Entertainment Throughout History
14:39 The Link between Sadism and Social Status
17:14 Grace as a Form of Domination
19:31 The Social Contract
22:52 Lack of Free Will in Early Punishment
24:20 Nietzsche’s Hypothesis on the Origin of Bad Conscience
24:30 The State of Nature Theory
27:10 Turing The Will to Power Against Oneself
32:30 Masochism
33:34 Punishment as Entertainment for the Gods
34:47 Aristocrats Create Bad Conscience in Slaves
37:46 Ancestor Worship
40:22 Original Sin / The Psychology of Guilt
44:43 Debt Becoming Spiritual and Internal
46:19 Internalizing the Creditor/Debtor Dynamic within One’s own Conscience
48:59 Nietzsche’s Views on Bad Conscience / The Sovereign Individual
52:40 Wrapping up/ Outro
28. Friedrich Nietzsche on The Origins of Morality Pt.1
In this episode we unpack the first essay in German Existentialist Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's classic work "The Genealogy of Morals" from 1887.
This Essay Explores...
- The Etymology of the words 'good', 'bad', and 'evil'
- Nietzsche's Concepts of Master & Slave Morality
- Which type of Morality is dominant in the Western world today
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche
The Vocation Lectures by Max Weber
Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Samuel Le Coutour
Theme Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:35 Challenges in Discussing this piece
00:04:49 Nuances in Nietzsche’s terminology
00:07:15 Questions Nietzsche is Trying Answers
00:09:36 “We are Unknown, we Knowers of Ourselves to ourselves”
00:11:11 Moral Prejudices of his time
00:13:54 Etymology of the words ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’
00:17:15 Language as an Expression of Power
00:21:20 The Function of The Priest in Society
00:23:54 Using Morality to Justify Domination
00:27:29 The Invention of Free Will
00:32:30 The Slave Revolt in Morality
00:36:14 Ressentiment
00:41:07 Nietzsche’s fear of Slave Morality
00:45:30 Nietzsche’s Criticism of Master Morality
00:47:43 Nietzsche’s Solution
00:49:18 The Battle Between Master & Slave Morality on the psychological level
00:55:49 The Battle Between Master & Slave Morality on the societal level
1:00:15 Secular manifestations of Slave Morality
1:02:09 Wrapping up/Outro
27. Viktor Frankl on Man's Search for Meaning
In this episode we unpack Jewish-Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's classic book "Man's Search for Meaning" from 1946.
This Book Explores...
- What happens when our will to meaning has become suppressed
- How we can derive meaning from our suffering
- Why 'what is the meaning of life?' is a bad question
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo
Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault
The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Barbara Spadaro
Theme Music: Polyenso
Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction
O2:09 Context of book
0:3:36 Egoism & Altruism amongst Prisoners
09:11 Phase 1: Denial
09:58 The Delusion of Reprieve
12:10 Phase 2: Apathy
13:31 Psychology of Guards
16:15 Two Types of Trauma
18:51 Phase 3: Anger
20:05 The desire for Revenge
22:40 Truth and Reconciliation after WW2
Forgive but not Forget
26:15 Finding Meaning Through Suffering
31:00 Finding Meaning Through Love & Work
33:20 Logotherapy in a Nutshell
33:44 The Will to Meaning
36:28 Paradoxical Intention
37:20 The Paradox of Striving for Happiness
40:02 The Meaning of Life
40:57 How The Meaning of Life Changes During the Course of One’s Life
44:00 The Is One Correct Answer to Every Situation in Life
46:24 “Live as if you were living already for the second time…”
48:47 Outro
26. Henri Bergson on The Philosophy of Laughter
In this episode we unpack French Continental Philosopher Henri Bergson's classic essay "Laughter" from 1900.
This Essay Explores...
- What are the common characteristics in all things funny?
- What are the differences between Tragedy and Comedy?
- What function does laughter serve for society?
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern & Del Close
Brain Droppings by George Carlin
How to be Funny by Steve Allen
Night at the Roxbury (SNL skit)
Anchor Man (movie)
Liar Liar (movie)
The Invention of Lying (movie)
Austin Powers International Man of Mystery (Movie)
Crocodile Dundee (Movie)
Tropic Thunder (movie)
Big Mouth (show)
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Patrick McInnis ImprovSanDiego.com
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
25. Marcus Aurelius on Self-Control
In this episode we unpack Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius's classic book "Meditations" from 170 AD.
This book explores...
- Seeing Things as They Really Are
- Focusing Only on What is in Your Control
- Remaining Calm Through Turbulent Times
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Steve Chung
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:11 Modern Interpretations of Stoicism
00:04:21 Translation
00:05:13 Why Aurelius Wrote the Book
00:08:30 Doing Good for the Wrong Reasons
00:09:37 Seeking Truth No Matter Who is Speaking it
00:13:10 The Logos
00:15:19 The Importance of Rationality
00:16:39 Doing What is in Our Nature
00:17:40 Focusing on Yourself
00:20:14 Expect People to Do What is in Their Nature
00:22:03 The Interconnected of All People
00:24:30 What is Natural is Good
00:25:58 Death = Change
00:26:49 Death as the Great Equalizer
00:27:43 Momento Mori
00:28:35 The Difference Between Stoicism and Nihilism
00:31:28 Your Legacy Won’t Live On After You Die
00:33:22 Seeking Approval From Others
00:36:08 Focusing on What is in Our Control
00:37:29 The Transgressor Harms Themselves When They Transgress
00:38:56 External Things Can’t Harm You
00:40:58 All Sin is Due to Ignorance
00:48:30 Equanimity
00:50:04 The Appeal of Stoicism During Times of Great Upheaval
00:53:11 Parallels to Buddhism
00:53:24 Seeing Things Objectively
00:57:35 There is Nothing New Under the Sun
01:00:00 The Present is the Only Time That Exists
01:02:55 Wrapping Up/Outro
24. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross on The Five Stages of Grief
In this episode we unpack Swiss Psychiatrist and Author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's classic book "On Death and Dying" from 1969.
This book explores...
- The Fear of Death in the Modern Age
- The Five Stages of Grief
- Advice for Navigating the 5 Stages of Grief
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
The Trauma of Birth by Otto Rank
Uses of the Erotic by Audrey Lorde
Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag
Empathy vs. Sympathy by Brene Brown (video)
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Andrea Dispenziere Psychology Today
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:58 Autumn’s Association with Death
00:06:15 Reminding Ourselves of our Mortality
00:13:19 Fear of Death in the Modern Age
00:14:40 Decline in Infant Mortality
00:17:25 Impersonal Treatment of Terminal Patients
00:24:29 The Illusion of Control
00:25:39 Summary of Kubler-Ross’s Interview Project
00:28:10 Verbal Ventilation
00:28:59 Importance of Meaning/Purpose
00:33:38 Mourning the Loss of Certain Abilities before Death
00:36:42 The Five Stages of Grief
00:38:23 Stage 1: Denial
00:39:18 Euphemism
00:40:51 Emotional Detachment
00:46:00 The Stigma of Denial
00:48:50 The Last Stage of the 5 stages of grief is the First Step of the 12 steps Program
00:50:05 The Link between Denial and Hope
00:52:16 Shock and Numbness
00:53:22 The Connection between Isolation and Denial
00:55:24 Stage 2: Anger
00:55:29 Anger at God
00:57:06 Anger at Oneself
00:59:05 Victim Blaming
01:01:00 Anger at the Living
01:02:16 Stage 3: Bargaining
01:02:54 Ambivalence
01:04:50 Bargaining with God
01:05:43 Reneging on the “Agreement”
01:10:45 Stage 4: Depression
01:10:49 Reactive vs. Preparatory Depression
01:12:47 Telling the Depressed Person to “Cheer Up”
01:14:15 Grieving your Anticipated Future
01:18:49 Sitting with the Person in Whatever Stage They’re In
01:21:28 Stage 5: Acceptance
01:21:36 Detaching from Life
01:22:30 Conflating Acceptance as “Quitting”
01:23:30 Difficulty Accepting Death in a Masculine Culture
01:25:57 Need for Solitude at End of Life
01:29:12 Kubler-Ross’s View of Death and Dying
01:30:30 Wrapping up/Outro
23. John Muir on Finding God in Nature
In this episode we unpack American Naturalist and Environmental Activist John Muir's Spiritual Writings from 1867-1915.
These letters explores...
- The Revitalizing Effects of Wilderness on the Body and Spirit
- The Interconnectedness of All Things in Nature
- Finding Gratitude in the Big and Little Things in Life
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
Spiritual Writings by John Muir
Chief Seattle full Speech 1854
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Mark McCann Wordsnvisions.com
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:55 Hiking as a Metaphor for Life
00:05:13 Summary of John Muir’s Life
00:08:35 Water over Stones
00:09:14 Finding God in a Thunderstorm
00:12:44 The Fear of the Unknown
00:16:57 The Call of Nature
00:20:52 The Confessional of the Woods/Solitude
00:24:13 Man’s Relationship to Nature
00:34:10 Seeking God in Scripture and Nature
00:35:06 The Cathedral Effect
00:40:27 Gratitude for The Big and Little Things
00:43:22 The Revitalizing Effects of Wilderness on the Body and Spirit
00:51:00 Muir’s Mission in Life
00:53:34 Wrapping up/Outro
22. Aldous Huxley on Altered States of Consciousness
In this episode we unpack British novelist and public intellectual Aldous Huxley's 1954 essay "The Doors of Perception."
This essay explores...
- Huxley's experience on Mescalin
- The Reducing Valve Theory of Consciousness
- The human desire to transcend self-conscious self-hood
- The ethics of the contemplative life
Links to Reading & Articles mentioned
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
General Resonance Theory (paper)
Entropic Brain Hypothesis (paper)
Nested Observer Windows (paper)
The Bhagavad Gita translation by Eknath Easwaran
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Nikki Johnson linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-johnson-free-thinker/
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 introduction
00:03:05 background about Huxley’s trip
00:05:58 the challenge of trying to communicate direct experience
00:11:30 Nikki's multi-sphere model of consciousness
00:14:28 the various terms for “God”
00:16:36 the reducing-valve theory of consciousness
00:27:52 types of people who filter out less primary consciousness
00:28:09 The Artist
00:31:26 The Schizophrenic
00:35:40 The Genius
00:36:33 the terror of witnessing God directly
00:43:06 the morality of the contemplative life
00:46:32 Huxley’s conception of enlightenment
00:48:46 the desire for self-transcendence
00:50:45 the war on psychedelics
00:54:27 integrating lessons from past lives
00:56:15 how a psychedelic experience changes a person’s character
00:57:23 wrapping up/outro
21. Eric Berne on Games People Play
In this episode we unpack Canadian psychiatrist and analyst Eric Berne's 1964 book "Games People Play."
This book explores...
- The 6 different types of social interactions
- The most common games people play
- What intimacy is and why it is so rare
Links to Reading
Games People Play by Eric Berne
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Sonya @selfhelpsonya on TikTok & Instagram
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:04 The 6 Types of Interactions
00:05:59 Withdrawal
00:08:09 Procedures
00:10:13 Rituals
00:11:39 Emotional Stroking
00:14:28 Calculating how many strokes to give
00:19:21 Pastimes/Small-talk
00:20:06 Types of Small-talk
00:21:08 How a host determines the pastimes people play at a party
00:24:08 The rules for small-talk
00:27:16 Why we engage in small-talk
00:28:38 The 3 Ego States
00:29:25 The Parent Ego State
00:29:45 The Child Ego State
00:30:18 The Adult Ego State
00:31:32 Complementary Transactions
00:33:31 Crossed Transactions
00:36:00 Child-Child Transaction
00:38:04 Adult-Adult Transaction
00:38:39 The 2 Levels of of an interaction (social level & psychological level)
00:39:05 Superficial Transactions
00:39:32 Ulterior Transactions
00:39:46 Flirtatious Games
00:42:32 A Thesaurus of Games
00:42:36 "Look Ma, No Hands!"
00:47:32 "Now I've got You, You Son-of-a-Bitch!"
00:52:55 "Why Don't You, Yes But..."
00:55:25 Intimacy
00:56:00 The Uncorrupted Child
00:57:39 Operations ie. stating a need directly
01:00:36 Why most people settle for games
01:01:53 Closing Thoughts
01:03:34 Outro
20. Jean Piaget on The Psychology of Children
In this episode we unpack Swiss Epistemologist and Developmental Psychologist Jean Piaget's 1969 book "The Psychology of a Child."
This book explores...
- The Stages of Cognitive Development
- How Morality develops in the child
- How and Why Children Play
Links to Reading and Other Sources Mentioned
The Psychology of the Child by Jean Piaget
A Piaget Primer by Dorothy G. Singer & Tracey A. Revenson
Conversations with Piaget by Jean-Claude Bringuier
Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jeff Micheal-Johnson
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:26 What Piaget was trying to study
00:09:15 How a Child Learns (Adaptation/Assimilation/Accommodation)
00:17:04 The Stages of Cognitive Development
00:24:00 The Sensory-Motor Stage/Egocentrism
00:30:42 Object Permanence
00:33:19 Language at the Sensory-Motor Stage
00:36:15 Play at the Sensory-Motor stage/Practice Play
00:37:32 The Pre-moral Stage
00:38:21 The Pre-operrational Stage/Superstitious Thinking
00:43:44 Language at the Pre-operational stage/The Monologue
00:46:00 The Collective Monologue
00:47:53 Play at the Pre-operational stage/Parallel Play
00:50:57 Symbolic Play
00:52:48 Animism
00:54:20 Free Play
00:57:39 The Conventional Stage of Morality
01:01:18 Conservation
01:06:36 The Concrete Operations Stage
01:07:15 Language in the Concrete Operations stage
01:10:07 Play at the Concrete Operations stages/Games with Rules
01:16:10 The Autonomous Stage of Morality
01:18:42 The Formal Operations Stage/Abstract Thought
01:22:17 Language at the Formal Operations Stage
01:22:56 Life after the 4 stages of Development
01:24:09 Spiritual Development
01:25:30 Egocentrism vs Egolessness
01:27:17 How the Child Lives on in the Adult
19. Albert Camus on The Absurdity of Life
In this episode we unpack Algerian Novelist Albert Camus' 1942 essay "The Myth of Sisyphus."
This essay explores...
-Why life is an absurdity
-Why sitting with inconvenient truths make them easier to bare
-How to find meaning in a meaningless world
Links to Reading and Other Sources Mentioned
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
A Night of Serious Drinking by Rene Daumal
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (film)
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Arthur O'Dwyer
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:52 Writing from a place of confusion and curiosity
00:08:15 The only Serious Philosophical Problem
00:08:55 The Nietzschian Criterion
00:11:32 Can we live with the awareness of the absurd without turning away?
00:13:00 Suicide as a social cause vs. existential cause
00:14:56 Is living worth the suffering?
00:14:44 The uncertainty of the afterlife
00:16:47 Camus two certainties
00:18:08 Nostalgia for Unity
00:20:40 Camus’s Critique of Science
00:23:11 Waking up to the Absurd
00:27:35 Definition of Absurdity
00:30:04 Philosophical Suicide
00:30:55 Critique of Kierkegaard
00:36:25 Critique of the Phenomenologists
00:43:21 Truths worth Dying For
00:47:05 The Greek Myth of Sisyphus
00:52:50 What Makes Sisyphus a Tragedy
00:54:44 Abandoning Hope
00:57:29 Consciousness as the cause of and cure to suffering
00:58:16 Finding Meaning in the struggle
01:03:42 We can only control how we respond
01:05:27 Crushing Truths Perish from Being Acknowledged
01:09:00 wrapping up/outro
18. Harry Frankfurt on Bull$#!T
In this episode we unpack American Philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt's 1986 essay "On Bullshit."
This essay explores...
-What bullshit is
-How bullshitting differs from lying
-Why bullshitting is so prevalent in our culture
Links to Reading and Other Sources Mentioned
On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt
Of Liars by Michel de Montaigne
Glengarry Glen Ross (film)
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
*note* reading is not required to enjoy this episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Max Robinson
Theme Music: Polyenso
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:59 the Bullshit Artist
00:06:18 Background of the Essay
00:07:20 The Proliferation of Bullshit
00:09:12 How Bullshitting Differs from Lying
00:13:38 Politician’s Dodge
00:17:38 Incentives to Bullshit
00:24:00 How Bullshitting Differs from Bluffing
00:25:36 The Etymology of “Bullshit”
00:26:51 Speaking Without Saying Anything
00:29:00 Bullshitting Compared to the Act of Shitting
00:30:53 What Function Does Bullshit Serve?
00:32:58 Has the Digital Age Increased Bullshit?
00:33:41 Is there More Bullshit Now than in Previous Generations?
00:37:16 How Democracy Increases Bullshit
00:40:42 “Talking Out of Your Ass”
00:41:53 “Trash Talking”
00:42:56 “Smooth Talking”
00:43:52 A Bull Session
00:46:55 “Shooting the Shit”
00:48:30 Pretentious Bullshit
00:49:53 “Don’t Piss on My Leg and Tell me it’s Raining”
00:50:39 Outro
17. Stanley Milgram on Obedience to Authority
In this episode we unpack American Social Psychologist Stanley Milgram's 1974 book "Obedience to Authority."
This book explores...
-Why we lose our sense of moral responsibility when taking orders
-Why we are so bad at predicting our capacity to be obedient
-Why the desire to be polite can lead us to do evil
Links to Reading and Other Books/Movies Mentioned
Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram
CRT: An Introduction by Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic
Cat Person by Kristen Roupenian (short story)
Experimenter (movie about Stanley Milgram)
A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick (film)
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Claire Bevan ClairehBevan@gmail.com
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:52 Historical context of the Milgram Experiment
00:05:00 Asch’s Conformity Experiment
00:06:57 Milgram’s Existential Questions for the Experiment
00:09:25 Milgram’s Personal Motivation for the Experiments
00:09:53 Summary of the Experiment
00:15:012 Milgram’s Hypothesis for the Experiment
00:17:25 Results of the Experiment
00:18:39 the Disconnect between our predictions and reality
00:19:50 The Attribution Error
00:21:07 The Agentic State/Loss of Moral Responsibility
00:25:47 The Horrific Consequences of the Division of Labor in Society
00:28:12 Doing What We’re Told as a Way of Preserving Cognitive Energy
00:32:35 Victim Blaming
00:33:10 Dehumanization feedback loop
00:38:26 Variations of the Experiment
00:39:20 Proximity of Experimenter to Subject
00:43:35 Proximity of Subject to Victim
00:47:47 Power in Numbers in Dissent
00:51:30 Not Seeing Disobedience as an Option
00:54:08 Counteranthropromorphism
00:56:36 More Variations
00:58:52 Motivations for Dissent
01:01:30 The Sequential Nature of Action
01:03:43 The Unknown of Dissent
01:04:22 The Moment of Bravery to Say No
01:05:08 Obeying out of a sense of Politeness
01:09:49 Feeling Bad After Doing the Right Thing
01:12:28 Profiles of Subjects
01:13:22 Obedience to God as an Antidote to Obedience to Corruption
01:18:14 Feeling Bad vs. Doing Good
01:20:18 The Effects of the Experiment on the Subjects
01:23:08 The Ethics of the Experiment
01:24:40 Lessons Learned for the Experiment
01:29:16 Variations we would have liked to see
01:32:22 Wrapping Up/Outro
16. The Book of Job on The Problem of Evil
In this episode we unpack "The Book of Job" from The Old Testament of the Bible
This book explores...
-Why God allows bad things to happen to innocent people
-Why surrender is sometimes the only answer to that which is out of our control
-Why pondering the cosmos helps put our personal suffering into perspective
Links to Reading and other Books mentioned
The Wisdom Books by Robert Alter
The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter
The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick (film)
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Lee Posna LeePosna@gmail.com
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
Timestamps
(00:01:22) Introducing Job
(00:03:59) Author/Date/Translation
(00:09:45) Summary of Job Story
(00:17:10) Loyalty to God
(00:22:55) "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, naked shall I return tither."
(00:26:19) Job's wife's skepticism
(00:27:55) Victim Blaming (Job's friends)
(00:36:39) God's response to Job
(00:42:40) Acceptance/Surrender to fate
(00:46:20) Carl Jung's "Answer to Job"
(00:53:59) Putting personal suffering into perspective
(00:58:43) The Problem of Evil
(01:23:28) Summing up
15. Rainer Maria Rilke on The Creative Process
In this episode we unpack Austrian Existential Poet Rainer Maria Rilke's masterpiece "Letters to a Young Poet."
These letters explore...
-Why solitude is vital for creatives
-Why the creative process is similar to the gestation period and birthing of a baby
-Why advice is often unhelpful
Links to Reading and other Books mentioned
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jasia Ries Instagram @thejasia
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:17 Translation
00:03:55 Background to the letters
00:05:48 Advice to others is often advice to ourselves
00:09:21 Turning inward to answer your biggest questions
00:17:15 A great work of art springs from necessity
00:22:19 There is nothing boring. Only boring people
00:23:26 Solitude
00:30:36 The gestation of an idea
00:35:15 Rilke’s conception of God
00:41:48 Living the questions
00:48:15 Things that are difficult are worth doing
00:49:30 Entering a relationship from a place of already being whole
00:56:20 What the sexes can learn from each other
01:04:04 Codependency vs. Interdependency
01:09:50 Sadness and Change as two sides of the same coin
01:19:42 wrapping up/outro
14. Robert Louis Stevenson on Idleness
In this episode we unpack Scottish Novelist Robert Louis Stevenson's essay "An Apology for Idlers" from 1877.
The essay explores…
-Why we should spend a good deal of time being idle in our youth
-Why we have a moral duty to be happy
-Why books aren't all they're cracked up to be
Links to Reading and Articles mentioned
"An Apology to Idlers" by Robert Louis Stevenson
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Alex Berner Pocket Bard (Interactive music app for gamers and tabletop RPG's like D&D)
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:42 Does idleness make us grow weary?
00:08:21 Stevenson’s definition of Idleness
00:12:58 how different generations view idleness
00:17:57 how one’s happiness effects other people
00:22:24 better to be happy and poor than miserable and industrious
00:28:04 the resentment workers feel towards idlers
00:31:01 rethinking priorities
00:31:31 the story of Alexander the Great and Diogenes
00:41:57 the resentment unrecognized workers feel
00:45:58 equating one’s self worth with one’s economic value
00:48:51 spending time being idle in youth
00:50:28 Experiential learning vs. book learning
00:54:12 books are a bloodless substitute for life
00:59:11 leaving yourself space for having your own ideas
01:06:26 all work and no play is soul crushing
01:08:52 assessing how much time we spend on certain tasks
01:12:17 your work doesn’t matter as much as you think it does
01:13:12 the “great man” theory of history
01:17:45 why sacrificing your youth for work is a bad idea
01:21:25 fame and money doesn’t make you happy
01:24:17 sensitivity to talking about work
01:26:59 wrapping up/outro
13. Epicurus on Death Anxiety
In this episode we unpack "Letter to Menoeceus" by Ancient Greek Philosopher Epicurus.
The Letter explores...
-Why death is not something we need to fear
-Why those who need luxury least are the ones who enjoy it most
-How to make calculations to maximize pleasure and tranquility
Links to Reading and articles mentioned
"Letter to Menoceus" by Epicurus
"Money Buys Happiness Only to a Certain Point" by Andrew T. Jebb of Purdue University
"Better Never to Have Been" by David Benatar"
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura Unpackingideas.com
Guest: Daniel Libin
Theme Music: Polyenso Listen here
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:04 Section 1
00:03:00 Philosophy is for The Old and Young
00:06:28 Happiness is Not Everything, but Unhappiness is
00:09:38 Happiness vs. Ataraxia vs. Eudaemonia
00:15:34 Section 2
00:17:32 Gods Aren’t Concerned with Human Affairs
00:20:00 Section 3
00:21:29 Epicurean Death Argument
00:22:55 Alief vs. Belief
00:25:45 Aristotle’s 3 types of Arguments
00:26:47 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
00:29:25 Near Death Experiences
00:30:04 Fear of Death vs. Fear of Dying
00:31:17 Death Anxiety
00:32:41 Thomas Nagel’s Counter Argument to Epicurus
00:42:58 Section 4
00:45:00 Better to Have Never Been?
00:52:30 Section 5
00:53:47 Ataroxia
00:54:44 Buddhism vs. Epicureanism
01:01:14 Section 6
01:02:32 Epicureanism vs. Hedonism
01:07:35 All Pain is Bad, but Sometimes We Should Choose the Painful Option
01:09:00 Hedonic Calculation
01:10:30 Section 7
01:12:18 Misinterpretations of Epicureanism
01:13:54 Those Who Least Need Extravagances, Enjoy Them the Most
01:16:47 “Everything Natural is Easy to Obtain, Whatever is Groundless is Hard to Obtain”
01:24:23 Section 8
01:25:14 Prudence & Justice
01:28:40 Section 9
01:30:37 Better to Be Virtuous than Lucky
01:33:08 Wrapping up/Outro
12. Cicero on Friendship
In this episode we unpack Roman Orator and Politician Marcus Tullius Cicero's treatise "On Friendship" from 44BCE.
The treatise explores...
-Why blind loyalty in friendship should be avoided
-How the conception of a "soul mate" has changed throughout the ages
-How to choose a friend like a Stoic
Links to Reading and Articles Mentioned
"Of Freindship" by Michel de Montaigne
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Bernardo Lopez
Theme Music: Polyenso
11. Sun Tzu on The Art of War
In this episode we unpack Chinese Military Strategist Sun Tzu's classic treatise "The Art of War" from circa 500BCE.
The treatise explores...
-Why the supreme general is not the one who fights and wins many battles
-Why it is unwise to corner the enemy
-How a General should command his soldiers
Link to Reading
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jason Peng The World Philosophy Group (on meetup.com)
Theme Music: Polyenso
10. Jacob Bronowski on The Ascent of Man
In this episode we unpack British Mathematician and Biologist Jacob Bronowski’s 1973 essay “The Long Childhood” from his 1973 documentary series “The Ascent of Man.”
This essay explores...
-Why it is humans who ride horses and not the other way around
-Why Traditional civilizations revered the adult and Modern Western civilization reveres the child
-Why all Utopias are destined to fail
Link to Video
"The Long Childhood" from The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski
**note** watching video is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Shrikant Rangnekar 52 Living Ideas Youtube Channel and Meetup
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
9. Erich Neumann on Scapegoat Psychology Pt. 2
In this episode we unpack German Depth Psychologist Erich Neumann's 1949 essay "Depth Psychology and a New Ethic."
This essay explores...
-The origins and history of consciousness
-The stages of ethical development
-Why each individual must go on the journey of Individuation
Link to Reading
"Depth Psychology and a New Ethic" by Erich Neumann
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode
Host: Zach Stehura unpackingideas.com
Guest: Jorge Cabrales NYC Carl Jung Meetup Group
Theme Music: Polyenso
8. Erich Neumann on Scapegoat Psychology Pt. 1
In this episode we unpack German Depth Psychologist Erich Neumann's 1949 essay "Depth Psychology and a New Ethic."
This essay explores...
-How the processes of repression, suppression, and projection work
-Why the Judeo-Christian Ethic leads to projecting our negative qualities onto others
-Why we scapegoat minorities, psychopaths, and people of superior ability
Link to Reading
"Depth Psychology and a New Ethic" by Erich Neumann
**note: reading is not required to enjoy the episode
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jorge Cabrales NYC Carl Jung Meetup Group
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
7. Dale Carnegie on Winning Friends and Influencing People
In this episode we unpack American Self-Help Coach Dale Carnegie's 1936 best-selling book "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
The book explores...
-Whether or not all human behavior is self interested
-How to make people feel important
-Why remembering people's names is such a big deal
Link to Reading
"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Shaheed Majid
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
6. David Foster Wallace on The Ethics of Eating Animals
In this episode we unpack American Novelist and Journalist David Foster Wallace's essay "Consider the Lobster" from 2004.
The essay explores...
-The strange history of eating lobster in America
-How the language we use influences the way we think about animals
-How future generations might look at the way we currently treat animals
Link to Reading
"Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guests: Danny Jimenez & Manny Caride thevegangents.com (Dozens of easy, nutritious, and delicious vegan recipes!)
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
5. Henry David Thoreau on The Art of Walking
In this episode we unpack American Transcendentalist Philosopher and Abolitionist Henry David Thoreau's essay "Walking" from 1851.
The essay explores...
-Why English Literature is lacking the passion and wildness found in Mythology
-Why a person's ignorance is sometimes not only useful, but beautiful
-How to go on walks in the spirit of undying adventure
Link to Reading
"Walking" by Henry David Thoreau
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Stephen Aldrich Backpackmap.com (a free online resource for planning your next backpacking adventure)
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
4. Ted Kaczynski on The Perils of Modern Technology
In this episode we unpack Theodore Kaczynski's 1995 essay "Industrial Society and Its Future" or as it is better know "The Unabomber Manifesto"
The essays explores...
-Kaczynski's predictions about the future of technology
-Why modern day people struggle so much with anxiety and depression
-Why technological systems limit our freedom and autonomy
Link to Reading
"Industrial Society and Its Future" by Theodore Kaczynski
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Chris Corvo The Next Conversation (podcast)
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
3. Seneca on Anger
In this episode we unpack the essay "Of Anger" by the Roman Stoic Philosopher Seneca the Younger.
The essay explores...
-Whether or not anger is useful
-Why the sword of justice is ill placed in the hands of an angry man
-How we should respond to anger when it arises
Link to Reading
"Of Anger" by Seneca the Younger
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Chase Harris The Switch Podcast
Theme Music: Polyenso listen here
2. Ralf Waldo Emerson on Authenticity
In this episode we unpack American Transcendentalist Philosopher Ralf Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay "Self-Reliance."
The essay explores...
-Why envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide
-Why we hide our true selves
-How to discover who we truly are
Link to Reading
"Self Reliance" by Ralf Waldo Emerson
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Jon Lindinger xenotheory.org (Programs for self-development for young men)
Theme Music: Polyenso
1. Michel de Montaigne on The Value of Conversation
In this episode we unpack French Renaissance Philosopher Michel de Montaigne's essay, "On the Art of Conversation" from 1580.
The essay explores..
-Why disagreement is a crucial aspect of conversation
-How talking about ideas can sharpen our thinking
-Why we have more to to learn from fools than sages
Link to Reading
"On the Art of Conversation" by Michel de Montaigne
**note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode!
Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com
Guest: Luke Priddy The Fractal podcast/youtube channel
Theme Music by: Polyenso