The Secret of Masks and Contrarianism

Brené Brown is an American professor, lecturer, author, storyteller researcher, and podcast host. She's made it her life's work to help people rise strong, brave the wilderness, and dare to lead - all through overcoming shame and embracing their own vulnerability.

So naturally Chris and Matt - being the emotionally unavailable, culturally stunted and cynical gits that they are - bemoan all this positivity and do their level best to try and drag her down to their bitter and petty level.

Can you get the secret to self-actualisation in a TED talk? Or is it more a sequence of inspirational quote memes strung together? Or are these things one and the same?

Perhaps Professor Brown is honing in on universal psychological truths. Or alternatively, she might be an unwitting expression of American hyper-individualism and self-obsessed culture.

Well, you're gonna get the Irish and Australian take on that.

Thanksgiving is obviously the perfect time for the hosts to tell their US listeners that American culture sucks and that kids shouldn't follow their dreams but prepare to be cogs in the machine.

No, no, they don't do that. Well... not entirely.

Well, what do they say? What is there take? You'll have to tune in to find out!

Links

• The power of vulnerability (TED talk)
• Listening to shame (TED talk)
• 'If you want to heal yourself, WATCH THIS!' Brené Brown & Lewis Howes on 'The School of Greatness'
• Eric Weinstein: How Not to Formulate a Theory of Everything (Tim Nguyen)
• Live-tweet of Eric's Chicago Lecture by Sandro Sharashenidze
• Bret and Heather Darkhorse 105: State Lies Coming Across