Today we are excited to be joined by Stephen Kent, a political speaker/writer in Washington, D.C., and the author of the book "How the Force Can Fix the World: Lessons on Life, Liberty, and Happiness from a Galaxy Far, Far Away". He is also our very first guest on the show, and we had a blast getting to dive deeper into philosophy, politics, and life values that are paralleled in the great story of Star Wars. 

We get to know Stephen and his background in politics and podcasting, before jumping right into his book and the major themes within. We touch on the values and larger meaning of Star Wars, before getting into the idea of free will and how it applies to clone troopers. Later, we discuss the possibility of combining the ideology of the Sith and the Jedi, along with masks worn in Star Wars and in our own lives. Do we all wear masks at some point, and can they be used for good? And is the concept of empathy disappearing from society as we speak?

Before wrapping things up, we dive into a major theme that is prevalent in almost all of our favorite fandom properties such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and that is our heroes aging. We have seen Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Indiana Jones, etc. being portrayed as old and washed up, struggling to rise to glory again. We touch on the audience's reception of such things, and what we think about the pattern.

All this and more that we can't wait for you to hear!


01:15 - Introducing Stephen Kent
12:44 - Star Wars Values, Redemption Stories, and Cancel Culture
31:52 - Clone Troopers and Free Will, Combining Values of the Jedi and Sith
40:45 - Masks We Wear, Why Star Wars is So Meaningful, The Lack of Empathy in People and Politics, Convenience Breeds Reliance
1:15:30- How the Force Can Fix the World
1:16:40 - The Last Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Indiana Jones, and the Aging of Our Heroes

You can find "How the Force Can Fix the World" wherever books are sold and in audiobook form on Audible!
You can find Stephen Kent on:
- Twitter: stephen_kent89
- thisistheway.substack.com
- "Walk the Way" podcast on all major podcast platforms!

Follow us on social media:
Twitter/Instagram/TikTok: @whysosidiouspod
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@whysosidiouspod?app=desktop

Email us questions/requests: [email protected]


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