Faust, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a two-part dramatic work that tells the story of a scholar named Faust who, dissatisfied with his life and seeking infinite knowledge and power, makes a pact with Mephistopheles, the Devil's representative. Part I focuses on Faust's despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his tragic love affair with Gretchen, which ends in her downfall. Part II is more allegorical and symbolic, following Faust through various experiences, including his life at court and his encounter with Helen of Troy, before his eventual salvation through God's grace and the intercession of Gretchen. The work is renowned for its blend of lyric, epic, dramatic, operatic, and balletic elements, and its exploration of theological, mythological, philosophical, and cultural themes[1][4][5].
Toby Shorin (Website, Blog, X) is a researcher, writer, consultant, and cultural anthropologist for the internet era.
His interests and work include culture, identity, organizational design, psychology, cryptocurrency and blockchains, brands, health and care, spirituality, and social forms and institutions. Today, Toby works on Care Culture, a community and research platform focused on mental health and spirituality. Toby also co-founded Other Internet, a research institute known for its deep cultural analysis and work with crypto organizations. Conversations with Toby and his work—especially ‘Headless Brands’ and ‘Squad Wealth’—were deeply influential to my interest in crypto and related subcultures and ideologies. Over time, I have been even more energized by his broader thinking and ability to interpret cultural change especially with regard to evolving sources of meaning, identity, and connection.
This conversation is primarily about themes I’ve noticed across his work and how those have evolved toward what he is working on now. In many ways, this is the pattern of modern culture “secularizing” more sacred forms—including but not limited to practice, faith, ideology, morality, and religion—and how that happens at individual and collective levels.
Episode Transcript
Timestamps:
(02:26): Post-Authenticity & Romantic-Era Individualism
(10:08): Squad Wealth: a seed of collectivism--the collective as the atomic unit
(14:40): Other Internet
(18:45): Life after lifestyle, headless brands, and new forms of collective beliefs, cults, and religions
(30:55): Toby's pivot away digital to physical social forms; from technology and brands to health
(38:51): The body, the will, and new kinds of individualism and collectivism
(52:47): Prototyping Social Forms of Care
(58:08): The theme of Toby's work: practice-- and new spiritual and religious forms
(1:00:50): Secular and Sacred
(1:04:35): The social body and the social spirit
(1:05:56): Toby's central question
(1:10:13): Observing and Critiquing vs. Prescribing
(1:13:03): Innovating on social forms like we innovate with business and technology
(1:21:52): Reflecting on time spent in Crypto
(1:29:23): Protocols
(1:31:50): Social forms in lieu of institutions
(1:34:43): Learning about yourself through writing
(1:37:44): Spirituality
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