Beauty, Darkness, and Wake-Up Calls with Joseph Bernstein - Act 1

Joseph Bernstein shares images of growing up in the “80’s and 90’s” suburbs of Washington DC, where he experienced a diverse population of folks from around the world but, as he says, without much diversity of thought and values.

Life in his childhood home was, on one hand, supportive, comfortable, and he knew he was loved…

On the other hand, the atmosphere was rife with “emotional violence” between his parents, and their dynamic led to a family culture of suppressed emotions, contributing to what Joseph now sees as having led to emotional eating, obesity, and a sense of separation. 

Joseph riffs on his relationship to his body and the cultural narrative that people living in larger bodies are somehow unworthy of love.

He shares the beauty, darkness, and wake-up call that was his first marriage - and subsequent divorce - that put him on a path to “change the script.”

Building from that wake-up call, Joseph draws clear contrasts between his early incompetence in relationship and his wildly outstanding competence and success in the world of work, where he made the “aha!” connection that sealed the deal of stepping onto his path of personal growth and responsibility.

He found his way to men’s work through a suggestion dropped by a therapist, eventually making his way to the Mankind Project and digging in deep!

We wrap Act 1 with Joseph sharing how his MKP experience revealed the range of healthy masculinity, from raw and edgy to tender, vulnerable, and deeply loving.

Learn more about Joseph on his website!