Perennial Wisdom Ep. 256: Sinner and Saint - The Paradox of Human Development | Perennial Wisdom
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Dec 20, 2025 Explore the fascinating dance between paradoxes and polarities in human experience. Discover how good and evil coexist within each individual, as discussed through the lens of thinkers like Solzhenitsyn and Augustine. Unpack the idea of sainthood as a journey toward wholeness, moving beyond perfection. Delve into the scapegoat mechanism that communities use to deflect blame and achieve false unity. Ultimately, embrace the complexities of adulthood by holding contradictions and resisting the urge to simplify human nature.
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Paradox Is Core To Being Human
- Paradox and polarity are central to human life and should be embraced rather than solved.
- J.W. Bertolotti says adulthood is holding opposing truths without denial or self-hatred.
Solzhenitsyn’s Labor Camp Revelation
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn learned moral complexity in Soviet labor camps where survival stripped facades away.
- J.W. Bertolotti uses Solzhenitsyn to show the line between good and evil runs through every human heart.
Sinner And Saint Simultaneously
- Each person contains both harm and holiness simultaneously, not in separate seasons.
- J.W. Bertolotti frames this as a paradox that resists perfectionism and despair.