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At the core of personality disorders lies a paradox—the functional yet ultimately detrimental nature of behaviors that originally develop as coping mechanisms in the wake of trauma.
Individuals with paranoid personality disorder may misinterpret innocuous comments as malicious, while those with borderline personality disorder might see abandonment in routine separations.
Cultural norms define the thresholds of acceptable behavior and influence both the diagnosis and stigmatization of personality traits. Personality disorders, as both shadows and mirrors, reveal the limitations of our current psychiatric paradigms and the profound impact of sociocultural forces on individual psychology and the development of "personality."
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Blinded by invisible abstract concepts such as wealth, investment, interest, socioeconomic status, and profit - our social systems often obstruct the natural flow of generosity with attachments, greed, and possessiveness.
Generosity could be innate, as evidenced by our evolutionary anomaly of hoarding to the point of the peril of the whole species in modern times.
Studies reveal that even toddlers experience more joy when giving treats to others rather than receiving them. Likewise, Capuchin monkeys have demonstrated an understanding of generosity by refusing unequal rewards and showing distress when others are treated unfairly.
However, in contemporary society, our instincts can become misaligned or manipulated with our virtual and psychologically insular environments.
Wisdom texts also convey that generosity is our natural state; to give is to receive or to hold one's breath is to lose it. This episode explores ways to remove the impediments.
(music "The Inner Truth" by The Lovely Moon)
The discourse around toxic masculinity and its role in a pervasive identity crisis among men is compounding. Yet, what exactly constitutes healthy masculinity?
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The concept of archetypes in psychology, especially as applied to personal development and self-image, offers a rich and nuanced way to examine various aspects of human behavior. There are four core mature masculine archetypes, initially delineated by Carl Jung and later emphasized by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette, which serve as an integrative framework for deconstructing the male identity. These archetypes—King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover—each possess unique qualities and shadow aspects that reveal the dual nature of strengths and patterned struggles.
These archetypes represent universal roles across various cultures and historical contexts and can help in understanding not just one’s mental health but also the dynamics in relationships, societies at large, and the impact of events on life’s turning points. Expanding this model through modern and holistic lenses, such as intersectional feminist epistemology, challenges traditional views, acknowledges the role of power and oppression in shaping the energies of these archetypes, and connects to collective liberation.
“The Whole Man" emerges not merely as a fixed identity but as a dynamic process of evolution, integration, and maturity in diversity and complexity.
(Music "Drifting and Phasing" by Kowalski Room)
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'At the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit. And that center is really everywhere. It is within each of us.' -Black Elk
We all have an often underused and therefore latent power of concentration. It is like the aperture of a camera which controls how much light comes through the lens.
When it is smaller, it yields marvelous depth of field but a blurring of the periphery.
Similarly, the light of conscious attention can be directed like a laser to penetrate the phenomenal world to reveal deeper insights and master an aspect of life.
Ordinarily, our understanding and attentional interests are coming from the environment and outer conditioning with the illusion of one's willful direction, just as the tides appear to be the work of the ocean and not the invisible gravity of the moon.
Concentration also represents the sixth limb in the philosophy of yoga. Dharana is the Sanskrit word with its root "dhar" meaning "to hold."
But this is not the same as meditation, which in some ways is the opposite, like the large aperture full of light due to having no specific focus.
This episode explores various creative and contemplative paths to concentration, it's material and spiritual benefits as well as it's relationship to meditation and other limbs of yoga.
(original artwork on episode website and music "Eight Hours" by Bing Satellites)
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Culture, at its essence, is like a game, where the collective beliefs, practices, and values of any two or more people overlay the tangible world, shaping perceptions and bidirectionally influencing behaviors.
Like the sum of all dreams, these shared impressions become the social fabric and the drama of humanity that we all navigate - guiding norms, rules, and identities that will continue to evolve according to our collective imagination.
I like to think of cultures as constellations, portraying each individual as a star within the societal cosmos. The connections we draw between these stars—due to our angle of observation, common locations, traditions, rituals, or treatment—form patterns that emerge as the recognizable outline of cultures.
Like the constellations in the sky, these social conventions are not inherent but are instead the product of human perception and interpretation, emphasizing the subjective nature of cultural construction.
Expanding this model metaphysically introduces a contrast between dominant and non-dominant cultural forces. I see a prominent space-oriented theme and the rigid cultures around divided land such as nations with controlled and defended physical territories.
Another theme involves fluid, time-oriented perspectives and frameworks around cycles, renewal, and culture as a way of relating - where past, present, and future are deeply interconnected.
Spiritual texts offer profound insights on the correction of perception which facilitates the undoing of fear and the transformation of love. The concept of cultural humility, with its emphasis on openness, learning, and empathy, aligns with wisdom teachings which call for a shift from judgment to forgiveness, and from fear to love.
Spiritual growth involves recognizing our shared identity beyond the superficial divisions of the ego. This mirrors an understanding of culture as "true-ish"—a construct that can guide but not define our deepest truths and connections.
Metaphors such as the dream tapestry or social constellations can help us navigate the complex social landscape and honor a balance between the world of forms and our underlying unity of being.
(Music "A Blanket of Japanese Violets" by Bing Satellites and episode artwork on podcast website)
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Admiration is a profound human psychological state and like a prism, refracts light into a spectrum of experiences. Within this metaphorical range, there is the capacity for awe and spiritual transformation - the colors of admiration's positive influence.
Beyond admiration's edges lies the cautionary areas where imbalance spills into the harmful rays of idolization or insecurity, akin to the UV radiation just over the rainbow of visible light.
In this digital age of snapshots, glimpses, comparisons and voyeurism - how we see matters for our mental health. Having a better understanding of the art of admiration and who or what could be admired can serve as a mitigating factor for the risks of depression or internet addiction.
The vibrations of admiration are like ripples backwards in time, a clue from our future, fuller selves. It touches on something deep within our psyche or peels back a layer covering our true nature. Like the personification of an acorn admiring an oak tree because that is it's destiny, we respect and resonate with the outer displays of our own inner potential.
Author and philosopher Matshona Dhliwayo wrote, "admiration is the power of anointing." It symbolizes the uplifting and transformative effect this quality can have. It also suggests that it be treated as a sacred rite we carry with us. Perform the ritual with care.
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Honesty, a cornerstone of ethical behavior, faces complex challenges in the modern world. Technological advancements have fundamentally altered the landscape of human interactions, introducing anonymity and ease of information manipulation that can diminish accountability.
The rapid dissemination of misinformation and the rise of AI along with the weaponization of bots and deepfakes complicate the distinction between truth and falsehood, normalizing deceit in various contexts.
Social media platforms further blur these lines by encouraging the curation of idealized realities and incentivizing deceptive practices for personal gain.
These shifts, coupled with the pressures of consumerism and material success, contribute to a culture where dishonesty can thrive.
What responsibility do we have with respect to honesty in the virtual world?
What is the line between digital creativity and confusion?
Recorded live on Feb 24, 2024 at the Westclox Metaphysical Fair. You can support this work and connect more at https://patreon.com/kindmind
Charles Bukowski's assertion, "Style is the answer to everything," encapsulates the essence of this quality, suggesting that true style goes beyond mere aesthetics to encompass authenticity, resilience, and individuality.
This episode explores the multifaceted nature of style, its evolution through various stages, and its significance as a response to life's complexities.
Rooted in the Latin word "stylus," which referred to a writing instrument, the concept of style has evolved to represent the unique way individuals express themselves in every aspect of life - aka one's "signature" style.
The cycle of style can be understood through six stages: Uniform, Conform, Perform, Deform, Freeform, and Reform. Each stage represents a phase in the evolution of style, illustrating the dynamic interplay between socialization and individuality.
Bukowski's philosophy of "don't try" aligns with this cycle, suggesting that true style emerges naturally when one stops trying to fit in or impress and instead embraces their authentic self.
Please visit the episode website to view an image of the "style cycle."
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In the year of the dragon and northern lights, is the aurora borealis a cosmic ouroboros?
The ancient symbol of the Ouroboros, a serpent devouring its own tail, offers a profound metaphor for the cyclical nature of existence, encapsulating themes of renewal, infinity, and the perennial struggle between creation and destruction.
This emblem, rooted in ancient Egyptian iconography and embraced by diverse cultures and philosophical traditions, serves as a powerful lens through which we can examine our contemporary relationship with nature, technology, and the quest for liberation and spiritual transcendence.
(original episode artwork on podcast website)
Mary Oliver wrote that "empathy is a kind of seeing, and it involves imagination as well as vision."
The word "empathy" has origins in Greek "Empatheia" and the root "pathos," which means "feeling." It was first introduced to the English language in the early 20th century as a translation of the German word "Einfühlung," which means "feeling into." The term was initially used in the context of aesthetics and art appreciation.
Over time, the concept of empathy has evolved to encompass a broader range of psychosocial processes associated with 1) affective empathy (experiencing or sharing the emotions of another) and/or 2) cognitive empathy (understanding the perspective of another). Empathy is a crucial component of emotional intelligence and the development of meaningful relationships.
The opposite of empathy is apathy or the lack of feeling. So as a virtue, empathy can be the foundation for generating compassion and a motivating energy for prosocial behavior. However, it could also be argued that the value of empathy is unstable on its own and may need to be balanced with rationality and discernment in order to navigate between the extremes of excessive empathy and calloused indifference.
Otherwise, the drawbacks involve our susceptibility to emotional exploitation as targets of manipulative marketing or weaponized empathy. There is also the risk of empathy distorting facts as evidenced by proximity bias (preference for those close in distance or likeness) and other modes of selective empathy, short-term focus, and the prioritization of identifiable individuals (stories) over large groups or abstract statistics. These limitations have inspired the effective altruisim movement which aims to update our evolutionary empathy instincts to match the often complex modern social problems.
Additionally, unbound empathy can lead to distress and burnout. Preoccupation with the feelings of others can result in decision paralysis or the hindering of our ability to respond timely and skillfully. When a river floods its own banks, it turns turbulent and loses the balance that sustained its nourishing flow; or like the tides of the sea, we naturally require a cycle of rising and retreating.
Ultimately, empathy's true spiritual power reorients to our recurring theme of kindness and discovering our underlying circulation with totality. Feeling into oneness. It is an elegant common cornerstone among most major religions. At the heart of their moral philosophy, the empathic aphorisms enshrine the same message in colorful ways.
Beyond "The Golden Rule," other verses include "the whole world is a family" in the Rigveda, "all beings are Buddha nature" in the Lotus Sutra, and "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle," attributed to Philo of Alexandria.
This episode explores the ends of empathy in all its bittersweetness.
(Music “To New Beginnings” by Bing Satellites)
Historically, morality was in the domain of religion. Although most existing faiths claim their teachings go back to the dawn of time, we can understand that these belief systems have emerged and disintegrated like empires.
However, scholars trace living spiritual traditions of the Indian subcontinent to the 15th century BCE suggesting seniority at least among scriptures. The cornerstone of these and many other organized moral philosophies around the world is nonviolence. Also known as ahimsa in Sanskrit, it is the central theme of Jainism and the very first step in the first (yama) of eight limbs of yoga in Hinduism.
This ancient virtue can also be found as a basis for other maxims and codes around the world as attempts to do the least harm such as the golden rule, Mill’s utilitarianism or Kant’s categorical imperative. Despite this principle being woven into the fabric of social construct, it seems so many civilizations fall way short of its vision.
In this episode, we will explore the role of nonviolence today and the challenges or limitations. Violence is quite prevalent in nature, so it cannot be only a matter of living more naturally. Some modern thinkers assert that you cannot have life without death elsewhere nor construction without destruction. So, what about other life forms, self-defense, war, criminal justice, disease, mental health, etc?
If there is a time to kill, then perhaps the important clue for spiritual growth lies in ahimsa’s explanation in Jainism. Guided by simplicity, necessity and intention, one can aspire to cultivate a mind with less and less desire to increase suffering while adopting a lifestyle that harmonizes with the balance of the broader ecological community to which we belong.
(intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Light in the Summer Air II” by Ethereal Ephemera)
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Unlike other virtues that may be situational or context-dependent, integrity is seen as a constant, underlying quality that inspires and threads all of our actions and decisions into a spiritual tapestry.
It is not simply a commitment to certain core principles but a psychosocial, structural and creative coherence in how we live our lives. However, integrity is delicate, easily unraveled, and difficult to repair. Therefore, it involves maturity in steadfastly navigating the tensions between personal values and external pressures, temptations and social norms.
Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Herbarium” by Lee Hannah.
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This episode considers the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society and the human condition, and explores the ethical and existential concerns surrounding it.
We also contemplate the limitations of AI in terms of consciousness, creativity, and complex emotional and social contexts, and warn of the potential dangers of its weaponization for propaganda or bias and the possibility of humans becoming too dependent on technology.
This episode also emphasizes the need for collaboration across different fields to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in an ethical and equitable manner, and to enhance the human condition.
Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Cultivate” by Lee Hannah (https://leehannah.bandcamp.com/)
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The word pray comes from the root sound “prek” as in precarious. It means to entreat or ask.
This corresponds to the often instinctive urge to seek something greater than ourselves or a higher power when in need or at a loss of options.
Check out the psychology and demographics of prayer in America in the intro of this episode and then learn more about the contemplative art and practice of praying power.
Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Everything is Beautiful” by Solar Plexus.
You can support this show and access bonus and companion content to this episode including the Q+A session and a guided meditation on validation here: https://patreon.com/kindmind
Validation means to confirm or authenticate and allows people to feel heard and respected.
This episode explores how validation of others and self-validation are both key skills for emotional well-being and effective interpersonal interactions. It can help partners and teams be more present to each other and engage with respect and genuineness in order to build positive cultures of cooperation and support.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Bathed in Winter Sunlight” by Ethereal Ephemera)
Happy New Year! You can support this podcast at https://patreon.com/kindmind
The theme is HOPE. It stands out among other virtues because it requires negative circumstances and straddles over the present and towards the future.
Charles Snyder was a psychologist and dedicated researcher of hope, who emphasized its relevance in the context of doing vs being. Accordingly, hope is a motivational set of cognitive traits that give people a reason to continue pursuing their goals despite the unpredictable nature of the human experience.
He had a beautiful quote,
"A rainbow is a prism that sends shards of multicolored light in various directions. It lifts our spirits and makes us think of what is possible. Hope is the same – a personal rainbow of the mind."
It suggests that additional pathways may exist or appear that we cannot always comprehend in the present. The past and the future are like the ends of that rainbow. They seem to be really out there, but they are always inaccessible.
However, a bigger view is always possible in the here and now.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Cinnabar Sunset” by The Lovely Moon)
Nadine Strossen is Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School and the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served from 1991 through 2008.
A frequent speaker on constitutional and civil liberties issues, her media appearances include 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The Daily Show, and other news programs on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, Al-Jazeera, and in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Her op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and USA Today, among others.
Live Free or Dialogue is a video conversation series within Michael Todd Fink's "Kind Mind" podcast and based on the etymology of the word dialogue: two individuals (di) communicating with openness, respect and mutual search for meaning (logos).
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Mutuality is the way of nature, and we can observe it in the ecosystems. Look at the circle of shelter and food chains as well as relocation and procreation among the stationary plants and mobile animals.
Interdependence is a spiritual word because it makes room for the paradox of human life. It presupposes a relationship among parts but also implies oneness or unity.
Can you ever be truly alone or independent from a single element, like air or water or light?
Close your eyes and realize how reliant you are on that which is “outside” yourself.
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(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Absense of Definition” by Kowalski Room)
Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you love and light this holiday season. If you would like to pitch in a $5 pledge to help support this podcast and access bonus content, you can at https://patreon.com/kindmind
send mail to: michaeltoddfink@gmail.com or @michaeltoddfink
Registration for “I Am Not My Anxeity” virtual course is here.
Since nothing is permanent, what is it that we really see?
In the Venn diagram of the unseen, some are invisible but some are merely overlooked or ignored.
This episode explores the meaning of sight and the process of seeing from the wisdom of science, art and mythology.
(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Flying Into The Sun” by Ethereal Ephemera and episode artwork on website by Emily Dawn Duforest)
Use the link below to test your cognitive flexibility at the 8:00 mark of this episode:
“Interactive Stroop Effect Experiment”
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/ready.html
One of the definitions of flexibility is spiritually pliant, indicating an attitude of openness and intellectual humility in order to learn or refine our vision. It also implies a readiness to meet the unexpected and without shock.
Flexibility of mind serves us well under strain and mitigates the risks of rigidness, which we will review in the next Kind Mind Gathering. This mental elasticity allow us to stretch emotionally in order to take the perspective of others while maintaining our center. We can then resume our original shape if desired.
Isolation from social disruptions and lack of nuanced conversation behind our screens with character limits may have further eroded the banks of our common life-stream resulting in wider divides and obstinate hyperbole.
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(Intro music “New Apartment” by Coldbrew and “Echoes of Memories” by The Lovely Moon)