This chapter humorously delves into the impact of estrogen therapy and painkillers on toxic masculinity, as well as the allure of painkillers like Norco and Kratum. It transitions to introducing the episode's main topic, 'Notes from Underground' by Dostoevsky, with a playful bet on how many listeners have read the book.
We’re sick men. We’re spiteful men. We’re unpleasant men. We think our livers are diseased (especially Tamler’s). So we talk about Dostoevsky’s wild, complex, stream of consciousness masterpiece Notes From Underground. For this episode we focus on part 1 of the novella, and the philosophy behind it. Is the underground man an existentialist hero affirming his freedom in the face of a deterministic hyper-rationalist worldview? Or is he a lonely man consumed with guilt and self-loathing, constructing a pretentious post-hoc rationalization of his character and behavior? Plus, the American Psychological Association just issued guidelines for how to treat men who embrace traditional masculine ideologies. Is the backlash justified?
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