Trace Woodgrains - The burden and delight of carving your own path

This is the first part of our conversation. The full episode and the complete archive of Subversive episodes, including exclusive episodes and my writing, are available on Substack. You can also subscribe to the podcast sans writing on Patreon for a bit less. This is how the show is financed and grows, so I appreciate every contribution! Please subscribe at: https://www.alexkaschuta.com/

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We discuss Trace’s evolution from Mormonism to his current spiritual beliefs, his mission trip, and the struggle to find a personal spiritual answer. We also chat about the value of community and voluntary organization within religion, the pursuit of perfection, and the struggle against emptiness and decay. We also delve into the tension between the populist right and the traditional right, the struggle to build a cohesive movement, and the fragmentation within the online right, centrism, and the potential for a more inclusive pursuit of excellence. Our conversation concludes with a reflection on the value of life, the importance of intentional decision-making, and the duty to maintain and create positive structures. Trace Woodgrains is a pseudonymous writer and podcast producer, he is on Twitter @tracewoodgrains and he is on Substack at https://www.tracingwoodgrains.com/ Chapters for the full episode 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:02 Finding Community and Reasonable Conversations 15:17 The Value of Community and Voluntary Organization in Religion 37:04 The Tension Between the Populist Right and the Traditional Right 52:12 The Potential for a More Inclusive Center 01:09:46 The Value of Life and the Importance of Parenthood 01:15:13 Maintaining and Creating Positive Structures