Happy procrastination week, my fellow burners! In aid of my own procrastination, I've repurposed an early episode, which is still my favorite on the subject of Burning Man. In this interview, I discuss the philosophy of Black Rock City with Burning Man’s Philosopher Laureate, Caveat Magister (the pen name of Benjamin Wachs). Additionally, I offer a short excerpt from the book I’ve been writing.
On the show, we discuss what it means to burn, the power of gifting in building community, and how Burning Man doesn't necessarily need to be a transformative experience. We talk about how it’s okay to be miserable at Burning Man, delve into who “ruined" Burning Man, and discuss whether Burning Man is primarily a "white people thing.” We wrap up with a deep dive into the 10 principles and their shadow opposites.
Caveat Magister is the Philosopher Laureate of the Burning Man Project. Before this role, he lived in a Buddhist monastery in India, covered international nightlife for Playboy.com, earned a master's degree in interdisciplinary linguistics, taught autobiographical writing to high school age students in prison, and was a founding member of Burning Man's Philosophical Center. Caveat has authored five books, including "The Scene That Became Cities," which offers a definitive look at Burning Man philosophy, and his most recent, "Turn Your Life into Art: Lessons in Psychomagic from San Francisco's Underground," a manual for creating transformative experiences. For more, visit www.FascinatingStranger.com.
Timestamps
- 04:00 - An excerpt from the book I’ve been working on
- 19:00 - What does it mean to Burn
- 23:00 - Giving gifts and building community
- 27:00 - Burning Man doesn’t have to be transformational
- 37:00 - It’s okay to be miserable at Burning Man
- 47:00 - A brief history of who ruined Burning Man
- 55:00 - Is Burning Man a white people thing?
- 1:06:00 - The 10 Principles as skills and their shadow opposites
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