Soul Gum

• The Spiritual Implications of a Recession

  The tariffs won’t just affect your wallet—they’ll also affect your soul. In this episode, we walk through 5 spiritual side effects of an economic downturn (per Abraham Maslow, Karl Marx, and Simone Weil). Then we’ll talk through 3 philosophically-rooted tips for tending to your soul during (yet another) unprecedented time. Are the people wearing milkmaid dresses to the club a recession indicator? What would Karl Marx think about you hating your coworkers who won’t stay late at the office? How can we prioritize spirituality at a time like this without being navel-gazey? Let’s talk about it. EPISODE OUTLINE00:00 Intro 03:16 5 spiritual impacts of a recession03:45break06:39 1. Accessing spirituality gets harder 06:52 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs08:37 Simone Weil and Simone du Beauvoir clash 11:05 Everyone’s an existentialist until the rent is due12:31 2. Resurgence of traditional faith systems 12:39 Hemline index 13:36 Moral panics during recessions 13:52 Today: trad wives, homesteading and Catholic core14:28 The link between economic security & decline of religious affiliation 16:33 3. Disconnection from nature and each other 16:58 Karl Marx’s 1844 paper on alienation of labor 21:23 4. Escapism becomes more tempting than ever21:44 Lipstick index 22:40 TikTok restock videos as a recession indicator 23:10 Alcohol sales during recessions 23:54 TikTok shop dupe culture as a recession indicator 24:35 5. We’re ripe for spiritual expansion25:42 The god shaped hole (Pascal) 26:27 3 practical tips for spiritual health during a recession26:42 1. Other people are not your competition27:28 “Be kind to people and ruthless to systems” 27:40 2. Tactile hobbies and reconnecting with the fruits of our labor29:38 3. Spirituality during hard times is best served pragmatically and people-focused 31:58 Challenge: noticing me versus them moments MY LINKS• MAKE BELIEVE is out everywhere now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Get a signed copy of MAKE BELIEVE from Blue Willow Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join me in Bali June 1-7! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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• 5 Happiness Traps—and How to Break Free of Them

  We all want to be happy—but so many of the ways we chase happiness actually leave us more disconnected, burnt out, or empty than before. In this episode, we’ll walk through five of the most common happiness traps: the things we do to feel better that often make us feel worse. Along the way, we’ll explore what Nietzsche, Marx, and modern Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek have to say about the pursuit of joy. Then, we’ll turn to one of the longest-running studies on happiness to ask the big question: when it comes to feeling good, what actually works? No one has the secret to happiness. But a lot of smart people have said a lot of smart things that might help you feel better and access a little more joy. Let’s talk about it.EPISODE OUTLINE 00:00 Intro01:18 Break03:22 5 happiness traps 03:27 1. Overconsumption 06:00 Overconsumption starts with scarcity programming07:11 Nietzsche & overconsumption as a way to fill the void 10:37 2. Chasing achievements 11:46 Slavoj Zizek and the duty to enjoy the grind13:26“Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everyone wants this.”14:18 Superego injunction: “a million girls would kill to have this job”15:22 On using a lack of happiness as fuel to grind 15:56 3. Comparison 18:11 Downward social comparison 22:12 4. Self- and symptom-focused spiritual practices 22:55 Marx on how economic systems shape values 23:28 Self-centered spirituality in the West 24:41 Spirituality as a bandaid vs a root cause solution (Zizek)25:45 5. Isolation 27:03 The hyperindividualism crisis28:00 We owe each other stuff28:17 We want things from each other, and we should28:23 Harlow’s monkey study on attachment 30:13 We’re living in our own worlds31:28 So what DOES work? 31:57 Harvard happiness study 35:13 Challenge 36:19 Lightning round recapMY LINKS• ⁠MAKE BELIEVE is out everywhere now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Get a signed copy of MAKE BELIEVE from Blue Willow Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Let’s hang on tour!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join me in Bali June 1-7! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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  40:04
• On Walt Whitman & Making Hopeful Art at a Time Like This

  I’m thinking of someone. Guess who? They’re a trailblazing artist. LGBTQ-adjacent. A Gemini from Long Island. An artist trying to make sense of rapid technological change and political division. No, not Lady Gaga. Not RuPaul. Not Frank Ocean. Think older. Centuries older. Today we’re talking about the great American poet, Walt Whitman.Walt Whitman was born in 1819, but his world feels eerily familiar. His New York was reeling from technological change and caught in a web of political division. Sound familiar? In this episode, we explore Whitman’s life—from his roots as a Brooklyn typesetter to his rise as the great American poet. We’ll unpack his most famous work, Leaves of Grass, and the ideas in it that scandalized entire towns. We’ll talk about the beauty of contradiction, the divinity of the mundane, and the radical interconnectedness of all things. We’ll ask: what does it mean to write about hope and unity at a Time Like This? If you’re questioning how your art (or your heart) fits into a collapsing society, this episode is for you.EPISODE OUTLINE 00:00 Intro 02:56 Life Update: Tour! USA Today Bestseller! Bali?05:32 Walt Whitman: a Long Island Gemini  06:03 1800s NY: Nationalism, populism, manifest destiny07:52 Sound familiar? 09:02 Walt Whitman’s early life10:11 Walt Whitman, the reluctant teacher11:05 Walt Whitman, the starving artist 12:27 Walt Whitman does a social media detox13:00 Walt Whitman emerges with a first draft13:14 Leaves of Grass: not like other girls 14:00 1855 Walt Whitman is giving Woodstock 14:14 Publication expert level: just like us 14:44 Walt Whitman gets left on read   14:48 Enter: Ralph Waldo Emerson15:54 Walt Whitman is his own cheerleader 17:47 Walt Whitman is as petty as the rest of us18:22 Leaves of Grass starts to get legs 18:41 Leaves of Grass gets smuttier 18:57 Walt Whitman is not an angel 21:02 The Civil War changes everything 22:21 Leaves of Grass, an OG banned book23:01 Walt Whitman’s legacy 24:03 Walt Whitman quotes that will change your brain chemistry24:18 1. “Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”25:07 My ego nap25:59 2. “I am large, I contain multitudes” 26:39 The categorification of the human experience27:10 you are not a cottagecore coastal grandma clean girl mob wife u are a spiritual being having a human experience  28:48 3. “The smallest sprout shows there really is no death”31:09 4. “Do you guess I have some intricate purpose?”  EPISODE LINKS• Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman• Stuff You Missed in History Class episode• Comedy by Bo Burnham• My Writer’s Digest article on writing about hopeMY LINKS• MAKE BELIEVE is out everywhere now⁠⁠⁠⁠• Get a signed copy of MAKE BELIEVE from Blue Willow Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Let’s hang on tour!!⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join me in Bali June 1-7! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

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  41:57
• 7 Tiny Ways to Cultivate Awe

  When was the last time you felt genuine awe? Not just happiness, not “that’s cool,” but deep, childlike wonder? In this episode, we explore 7 five-minutes-or-less practices that can help you feel more present, more alive, and more connected to the quiet magic all around you. EPISODE OUTLINE00:00 Intro 01:28 MAKE BELIEVE is out now02:50 Come hang with me on tour?   03:51 7 tiny ways to cultivate awe03:54 1. Look closely at ordinary nature04:20 The goggles of habit 04:41 Walt Whitman: what is the grass?05:27 Thich Nhat Hanh’s tangerine meditation07:31 Rumi & the blurriness of separation 09:14 2. Look up10:00 The benefits of tree gazing10:29 Mary Oliver’s When I Am Among the Trees11:48 3. Unitask music 11:55 Music used to be the main course13:06 One song no multitasking challenge13:29 Make an awe playlist 13:40 4. Make unsmall small talk 14:19 Martin Buber’s I-Thou vs I-It15:50 Challenge: be aware during small talk16:17 The sacred ground of connection16:50 5. Remember pale blue dot 17:08 The Voyager photo17:36 Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot 19:10 Pondering our tininess 21:04 6. Make an awe signal22:21 7. Keep an awe list 22:43 The Zeigarnik Effect24:53 Lightning round recapEPISODE LINKS• @boywaif post on the goggles of habit• Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman• Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh• Sometimes & When I Am Among the Trees by Mary Oliver• Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot• I and Thou by Martin Buber• Rumi (Coleman Bark’s Essential Rumi) • The Zeigarnick Effect MY LINKS• MAKE BELIEVE is out everywhere now⁠⁠⁠⁠• Get a signed copy of MAKE BELIEVE from Blue Willow Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Let’s hang on tour!!⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join me in Bali June 1-7! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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  28:42
• 6 Warnings No One Gives You About Changing Your Life

  We romanticize big life changes—quitting the job, moving to the dream city, chasing the thing we’ve always wanted. But big changes have big side effects. And if you don’t see them coming, they might just send you running back to the life you were trying to leave behind. In this episode, we’re breaking down six warnings I wish someone had told me before I changed everything. If you’re craving a big shift, let’s make sure you’re ready for it.EPISODE OUTLINE00:00 Intro 01:45 Life update + tour!  05:52 6 warnings about changing your life 06:14 1. It will not automatically make you happy07:44 Harvard happiness study08:34 The hedonic treadmill 9:54 2. You will have an identity crisis  10:12 Ship of Theseus 11:40 3. You’ll probably feel stuck12:04 Diamond Example 13:12 Change happens at tipping points 15:31 4. It never stops feeling vulnerable15:55 Asch conformity study 17:18 The neuroscience of fear & hope19:43 It’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed22:33 5. There’s no magic pill 24:32 6. You’ll feel torn between who you were and who you’re becoming 24:52 Janus, the Roman god of transitions27:18 Lightning round recapMY LINKS⁠⁠⁠⁠• Preorder my poetry book MAKE BELIEVE from Blue Willow to get a free poem print and a personalized signed copy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Preorder MAKE BELIEVE from Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and more⁠⁠⁠⁠• Let’s hang on tour!!⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get the Believe Again yoga flow, guided meditation and mini-journal bundle free when you preorder MAKE BELIEVE!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join me in Bali June 1-7! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• ⁠Find me @thedailyvictorian on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  EPISODE LINKS⁠⁠⁠⁠• Ship of Theseus ⁠⁠⁠⁠• Harvard happiness study⁠⁠⁠⁠• The hedonic treadmill ⁠⁠⁠⁠• Digging for diamonds cartoon⁠⁠⁠⁠• Janus: the god of doors, gates and transitions

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  30:48

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