DisclaimerClick I Agree button, if you have read the disclaimer & agree.I Agree
  1. "Reason" - Rocco Jarman Terry McMullen 1:07:16

“Stable mutual actualization” — that is what my guest, Rocco, is after. He believes with the use of true reason (mature, sophisticated, objective reason) we as humans, have the ability to achieve a stable state, where mutually all of us, can self actualize into what we want to be. Contrast that with the world he sees today, where most people actualize at the expense of someone else. We mostly just follow our base instincts to try to live the best life we can imagine, without acknowledging the fact that our instincts and our imagination are fallible.

If that sounds heavy, I agree. This was a heavy conversation. But I wouldn’t say it was abstract or theoretical. In a very logical and pragmatic way, he is trying to figure out how humanity can save itself from itself. As way of background, Rocco is an Australian philosopher, poet, and podcaster (https://eyeswideopenlife.org/). In his words, he has “an unorthodox and autodidactic mastery of human psychology which provides cutting and insightful observations.”

If I had to put it simply, Rocco believes he sees things that others don’t see. He believes he has a gift to understand humans and the things that plague us, the things that cause unnecessary suffering in the world. He also believes he has a heart that is committed to trying to make the world a better place and an ego that can submit itself to logic and reason (rather than his own personal comfort or happiness).

That all sounds amazing, but as they say “that is why they play the game”– or that is why we do this show. It was truly thought provoking to probe and challenge Rocco’s views to understand what they were made of. We explored a host of assumptions and implications, as well as tried to understand tactically what we can do to try to improve. How do we actually make the world a better place?

A big thanks to Rocco for being on and the work he is doing. Something tells me this won’t be the last conversation we have about humanity and our path forward.

Most Recent Episodes
&Quot;Reason&Quot; - Rocco Jarman &Raquo; 14083248 1698424060933 Ce64839C2E496 Scaled
Mature Content
"Family" – Tony Losacco

These conversations are hard. I've listened back to this one a number of times and the only thing I can keep thinking is "nuance." These discussions are nuanced, these topics are nuanced, life is...

Listen · 1:04:26
Load More Episodes
Terry McMullen Podcast Host

I spent much of my career trying to consult companies on how to better achieve their goals. I was a Finance major, a Harvard Business School graduate, and a business strategist. I've always been curious and I've always loved trying to solve problems. It was a really good fit for a while, but then life happened.

Within the span of a couple of years I had a son, my sister tragically passed away, and my wife became severely ill with Multiple Sclerosis. All of a sudden everything I thought I knew about life didn't seem to make sense anymore. I needed to raise my son and teach him how to be a good person but I realized I didn't even know what it meant to be a good person, let alone know how to teach him to be one. I also realized that I wasn't capable of being the person my wife needed me to be to help care for her. Simply put, I wasn't good enough.