In this talk with Ross Ellenhorn—author and healthcare pioneer—we explore the human condition and how embracing what makes us truly human—meaning, purpose, autonomy, self-efficacy, play, innovation, collaboration, and connection—can reduce mental suffering and bring us back to life.

We also confront the forces that diminish and dehumanize us—alienation, conformity, judgment, labeling, authoritarianism, racism, isolation, and the commodification of people. At the heart of this episode is an exploration of the power of social connection on mental health and well-being.

Ross offers fresh perspectives on the mental healthcare system, drugs, addiction, and the various forms of mental suffering, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. He masterfully navigates the gray areas of human existence, seeing both the good and bad in everything and everyone.

This is an episode that will challenge your assumptions, spark new ways of thinking, and leave you with a lighter heart and a deeper appreciation for all the beauties and pains of being human.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- How We Change by Ross Ellenhorn
- Purple Crayons by Ross Ellenhorn

PEOPLE
- Aubrey Marcus
- Bootsy Collins
- Crockett Johnson
- Erich Fromm
- George Clinton
- Gregory Bateson
- Henry David Thoreau
- Jean-Paul Sartre
- Jim Carrey
- Karl Marx
- Margaret Mead
- Martin Heidegger
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Matt Bernstein
- Matthew Perry
- Robin Williams
- Rosa Parks
- Søren Kierkegaard

**Connect and Learn More**
Accord website: accordmh.com
Cardea website: cardea.net
Ellenhorn website: ellenhorn.com
personal website: rossellenhorn.com
books: harpercollins.com/collections/books-by-ross-ellenhorn

Ross Ellenhorn: The Art of Being Human — Meaning, Autonomy, Play, and Connection | Episode 106