Ordinary Unhappiness 126: Mailbag Part 2: Searching for the Self Teaser
Dec 20, 2025
In this mailbag reaction, the hosts tackle listener questions about the intriguing links between psychoanalysis and Buddhism. They discuss Melanie Klein's influence and the American left's need for fresh terminology. Buzzwords like 'limerence' offer insight into modern intimacy issues. The conversation touches on themes of vulnerability, precarity, and education, revealing the complexities of our emotional lives. Plus, a playful dive into what a 90s morning-show format for psychoanalysis would look like adds a humorous twist!
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Birthday Banter and Early Show Dreams
- Patrick and Abby banter about Patrick's birthday and institutional changes, mixing humor with life-stage reflection.
- They recall early show ideas like a morning-zoo psychoanalysis format and joke about canceled cultural figures.
Respectability Politics Shape Humor
- Abby and Patrick riff on cancel culture and institutional respectability shaping content choices.
- They imply that career constraints previously limited the show's original, edgier comedic plans.
Testing Boundaries With Shock Humor
- The hosts joke about slurs, cancellation, and dropping a cameo