Fight Like An Animal

The discussion dives deep into the concept of the mind as a collection of multiple selves. Unpacking the psychological styles of various professions, they challenge why certain fields dominate political arenas. The interplay between science and emotional experiences is explored, revealing how individual identities shape perceptions. Anarchist thought is juxtaposed with modern communication, empowering voices against established norms. Personal anecdotes of transformative experiences give insight into the journey of self-acceptance and merging the many facets of identity.

We celebrate the following three things: One, the animist revival currently sweeping the land. Two, a completed book with a tangible publication trajectory. Three, the form of ceremony, with all its diverse manifestations in various cultures, usually simply called shaking, as explicated in Bradford Keeney's book Shaking Medicine: The Healing Power of Ecstatic Movement. We contrast this type of ceremony with a set of tendencies described by Louis Sass in his brilliant work Madness and Modernism: Insanity in the Light of Modern Art, Literature, and Thought. Sass argues that schizophrenia is a limit case—the most extreme manifestation of—perceptual changes experienced by all industrialized peoples. While its manifestations are extremely diverse, he claims the shared foundations of these perceptual changes are social disconnection, lack of agency, and loss of direct immersion in experience, in favor of analyzing experience—a turning of attention to attention itself. We examine how industrialization caused a steep decline in the ritual traditions of rural Europe, and a simultaneous building boom in psychiatric hospitals. If we know the world in three phases—intuition, analysis, and integration of the two—perhaps we can think of pre-modern politics, with qualifications, as the intuitive, and the modern, “scientific” conception of politics as the analytical. All that's left is the synthesis: a return to our bodies and shared reality, with all the wisdom we have gained in the first two phases. 

Sometimes, we just have to stop fighting and ask if it's really worth it. Or wait: I guess we won't know unless we fight. In this episode, we briefly touch on the emotional reality of confronting the 212th phase of the apocalypse, and the horrifying truth that it's worse, in some ways, than the 211th phase was. Then, we examine the bewildering combination of crisis and opportunity presented by our dark overlords being even more crazy and stupid than they used to be. We touch on the perils of trying to apply the past to the present, the ways the federal government is becoming like the Coalition Provisional Authority in post-invasion Iraq, and examine how dynastic power becomes even more impulsive and incoherent as the generations progress. Throughout it all, we think about the difference between stories born solely of emotional need and stories born of assessing as many relevant variables we can find. 

On four consecutive Sundays, beginning April 27, Arnold will teach some of the fundamentals of revolutionary biology. Classes take part in Kenilworth Park, in Portland, OR, from 6-8pm. Much of this will be summary of material covered in podcasts, but there will also be some novelties that are specific to this place and the actions we might take in it. 

Explore the impact of storytelling on personal growth and healing. Discover how consciously embracing our narratives can help us escape the freeze response to societal challenges. Delve into the concept of Storyfinding, where we iteratively redefine our stories, leading to transformative experiences. Hear about the significance of personal narratives, including insights from John le Carré's memoir, and how they shape our identities. Learn to navigate and craft your own story, turning challenges into pathways for empowerment.

This discussion dives into the compelling intersection of religion and politics, highlighting how both can shape community cohesion. It advocates for a new animistic spirituality that emphasizes our connection to nature, particularly trees, as vital in addressing modern challenges. The importance of collective action emerges as a central theme, exploring frameworks that unite diverse efforts for environmental and societal change. There's also a nostalgic look at the radical environmentalism of the past, inspiring a call to revive impactful activism through community rituals.

The podcast delves into the changing nature of storytelling and its implications for society. It questions how new mythologies might emerge in a world marred by collective resignation and trauma. Listeners are taken on a journey through dreamscapes featuring insectoid manipulators and the psychology of the outsider. The discussion highlights literature's revolutionary power, particularly Chernyshevsky's impact on political thought, and critiques mainstream cinema’s failure to resonate with collective experiences. Ultimately, it emphasizes the need for transformative narratives to inspire social change.

Dive into the intriguing concept of embodied politics, which argues that understanding our biological roots is crucial for addressing social issues. Discover the philosophical flaws in today's political ideologies, especially in the context of ecological crises. The discussion highlights the need for a radical shift in thinking and action. Plus, learn about the initiatives at the World Tree Center, emphasizing localized environmental solutions, community engagement, and the search for beta readers to refine an upcoming manuscript filled with revolutionary ideas.

David Lauterwasser, an anarcho-primitivist and founder of the FernFu Permaculture Project, shares his unique views on living outside civilization. He discusses sustainable horticulture practices inspired by indigenous communities, revealing the complexities of domestication and the joy of communal harvests. The conversation delves into the harmonious relationship with wildlife, notably elephants, in permaculture systems. David emphasizes the importance of ecological identity and innovative farming techniques to foster resilience and reconnect humans with nature's rhythms.

Looking back from 2050, this episode examines a core communications strategy revolutionary movements began to employ in the late 2020s: the production of really good movies. With 2028's Patrolling the Wasteland as a case study, we examine the storytelling method of kosmentoria. Kosmentoria translates directly to “world in story,” but specifically means using dark or tragic contexts to convey beautiful or hopeful truths. We examine how the hierarchies we inhabited made kosmentoria films to validate themselves, focusing on the theme of the “lone renegade cop obsessed with justice.” Our own films undermined the idea that any small group of people should exercise a monopoly on violence, but they were far from utopian visions. Instead, they positively leaned into some of the more appalling aspects of life, while conveying a core truth: no matter how terrible everything gets, it's never a good idea to stop defending yourself. This “fictional” episode bridges two episodes from the “real,” 2020s version, of Fight Like An Animal: “How to Tell If Someone Is Hitting You,” on the nature of dominance hierarchies, and the forthcoming “Revolutionary Mythology.” To hear the episode in its entirety, please visit Patreon.