#14 – Finding Harmony Through Cognitive Dissonance
Release Date: 09/25/2018
#41 – The Masks We Wear
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil goes into the idea of wearing masks to hide our real feelings and our true selves. Masks can hurt our relationships and our lives. Masking our emotions stops us from processing them and integrating them into our lives. People who wear masks are driven by trauma, and we all experience different types of trauma in our lives. A mask covers up wounds and doesn’t allow those wounds to heal. It hides the pain. If you want to be honest with others, you first have to be honest with yoursel
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#40 – What is Postmodernism?
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Vigil and his guests, Danny and Matt, discuss the topic of postmodernism. This episode focuses on the differences between modernism and postmodernism and why talking about this topic is essential. The show then goes into whether postmodernism exists only in the realm of art and literary theory, or is it also a social phenomenon. We then discuss if postmodernism leads to cultural and moral relativism and whether that point of view can lead to a generally skeptical view of the world.
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#39 – What are Logical Fallacies and Why are they Harmful
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil goes over the concept of logical fallacies and the different types used in discourse. Logical fallacies work on people because they make messages feel more persuasive. Ultimately fallacies hurt the trust and credibility of a person making an argument; therefore, the truth isn't the focus. This episode focuses on what logical fallacies are, the negative aspects of using them, and their overall effect on the way we interact with others.
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#38 – What is High and Low Culture?
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil and his previous guests Danny and Matt, discuss the concepts of High and Low culture. This episode will focus on discussing why these cultural forces and cultural divisions are important. Through these discussions, we can learn more about our culture, which gives us a more nuanced view of our world. Through this discussion, we hope to explore better these two cultures and how they interface with society.
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#37 – Building Self-Confidence in Times of Self-Doubt
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil goes over the tools and strategies that we need to build self-confidence in times of self-doubt. Self-confident individuals build trust in their abilities and have a sense of control of their lives. They also have realistic expectations, and even if those are not met, they continue to be positive. We all live with self-doubt, but with these tools and strategies, we hope to be able to build up our confidence and remain positive in the face of our successes and failures.
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#36 – Can You Separate Art from the Artist?
Conversations and Meditations
Virgil and his friends, Awkward Hermit, Matt, and Auguste discuss separating art from the artist. Is it ever possible for us to separate a talented individual and their pieces of art from their immoral, and at times, criminal behavior? Should we banish all art from individuals that may be talented but are immoral people. Should we try to find nuance and look at the issues case by case following the facts and victim testimony? We hope we can bring clarity to such a problematic and emotional topic.
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#35 – What is the Left and Right: A Conversation About the Right
Conversations and Meditations
Virgil continues the discussion about the left and right with his guests Matt and D. We go into more detail of what the political term “right” is and more importantly the cultural, moral, social, psychological, and economic aspects of the various groups on the right and how they might have something in common with the left. This episode focuses on the moral psychology of people traditionally on the right and contrasts them to liberals and libertarians in order to better understand one another.
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#34 – What is Foreign Policy: Part 1
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil and his two previous guests, Matt and Mischa, come on the show to discuss foreign policy. This podcast will focus on the general aspects of foreign policy, U.S. adventurism, the anti-war movement. The main element of this discussion will focus on whether or not Libertarians and Socialist can have an alliance against the establishment foreign policy. With this potential alliance, can we move the nation towards a more peaceful and rational approach to engaging with other nations?
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#33 – What is the Left and Right: Past, Present, and Future
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil and his friends discuss the topic of what is the left and right. In this podcast, former guests D, Pseudo, Danny, and Matt join us to discuss the left and right in respects to their origins, present, and future. We discuss the ideological roots of the left and right and try to unpack its connection to government and society. Finally, we discuss whether identifying on the left or right is valuable or if labels all together are antiquated and unuseful.
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#32 – On the Intersection of Class and Taste
Conversations and Meditations
In this episode, Virgil and his previous guests, Danny and Matt discuss the intersection of class and taste and how both connect to culture. We each give our ideas on what a social class is and how its represented in our world. We then discuss the concept of taste, its connections to aesthetics, and whether or not its something connected to our evolutionary history, social construction, or perhaps both. The conversation moves into whether or not a class system impacts and shapes our tastes.
info_outlineIn this episode, Virgil discusses cognitive dissonance and its effect on our everyday lives. Cognitive dissonance is the state of having inconsistent thoughts, actions, beliefs, or attitudes, most importantly relating to behavior and attitude. Virgil talks about his experience with cognitive dissonance, how it manifests in our lives, and how it can be a catalyst for a change in our worldview when confronted with new evidence. With the chaos of our world today, we should expect to feel the discomfort of cognitive dissonance, but always to remember that it's our choice of what to do with it.