Deconstruct

What is it about becoming an adult that makes the expressing joy and using imagination so frowned upon? Why is it that emotions are so frequently invalidated in professional spaces? We'll get to the bottom of what a sense of wonder and the ability to imagine do to enrich the lives of and strengthen the creative talents of child and adult alike, and get a deeper understanding of why corporations hate it when people are able to create their own sense of joy.

Today in Deconstruct, we explore the myths of heteronormative relationships- relationships focusing on straight couples, the ones regular folks have seen in most films and shows and advertisements throughout our lives.

There are some destructive beliefs that men hold- that they need to be the all-encompassing providers of relationships, and the one-stop destination for every need their partner may have. We explore how this creates restrictive power dynamics in relationships, limits the freedom for care to be reciprocated, and spreads people too thin. How much does one expend in order to maintain to be their partner's fantasy, and how does that unreal expectation harm relationship dynamics?

We explore some of the personal struggles, pains, and shortfalls Fitzgerald has experienced in trying to impress partners more than connecting to them. We explore some big red flags that occur in relationships, and we explore how men can begin to let go of the beliefs they've been imposed that hinder more than help.

We are more than just a lonesome organism. So many aspects of society depend on us feeling small in our singular aspect- when really, there is a lot more going on in our minds and bodies than we give credit for. 

In this episode, we Deconstruct the myth that are we meant to break ourselves down to bite-sized pieces for comparison. We break down the idea that one can communicate with multiple aspects of themselves without fear of a personality disorder, and how psychologists have made the idea of multiple perspectives seem dangerous and terrifying.

We will explore the miraculous ability humankind has to sink into a deeper, more complete state of consciousness when making important decisions. You won't want to miss this one.

Members of the Justice Movement fight a difficult battle of politics and spirituality, yet the popular connections to deeper presences seem so thoroughly co-opted by disingenuous privateers and charlatans. How do we navigate past the feelings of skepticism and cynicism felt towards religious bodies? How can I be a Christian with the knowledge that my religion is personally responsible for colonialism, the normalization of slavery, and untold suffering across the world?

Today, we deconstruct the brutality and extraction of dominant religion, and find accountability in its faults. Wrapping up, we make an appeal to how the left deserves to find spiritual reverence and catharsis in our work, even despite the atrocities explored.

In the conclusion to our Deconstructing Value in a Post-Coronavirus Society, Deconstruct continues the invisible transformative work by meditating and reflecting on the difficulties the pandemic has brought to maintaining a balanced mental state, and exploring how wealthy companies, advertisers, an unreliable news sources have tried to tap into our insecurities to garner participation in a media cycle meant to extract from us.

We explore the idea of our psyches acting like sandcastles, being crashed into from different waves of hurt and change that the pandemic has brought. Wrapping up, we reflect on what it takes to continue hoping, and a recognition of gratitude for Fitzgerald's personal circumstances. 

So much has changed since the pandemic first hit. Millions of jobs have collapsed, our global economy has been massively disrupted. How does this relate to our own internal sense of value and worth as people?

Today, we're taking a personal dive into the way we expect ourselves to be productive, and measure our value from the things we do. We'll be looking at the old model of our productivity, and reflect how that model is gone and won't be returning. We'll be wrapping up with a newfound power accessible to all of us- to create a new kind of value, of internally changing ourselves and our environment to process the waves of grief and hurt we have been struck. This work is more valuable than we'd initially think, and Deconstruct gets to the heart of it today.

On Episode 2, Deconstruct answers one of the most difficult questions to come from Episode 1- "If there are no police, how do we protect our communities from threats that still exist?"

We return to the narrative unraveling in Seattle to describe an incredible new phenomenon- the formation of an independent state body called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. We explore thoughts on the relationship between the state and its use of violence, and question if its possible for a political body to responsibly practice violence. Can such a thing even exist? Find out in Episode 2: The Legitimate Use of Force.

Deconstruct explores the American dependency on their police presence, noting the different myths that cultivate a sense of "vivid paranoid imagination" that makes us feel a perpetual mortal danger that causes folks to feel codependent towards cops. We explore the origins of American police in a country that once functioned without them, as well as the billion dollar industries depending on a hyper-militarized punitive system to maintain their profits and influence.

With this context, we'll take some time to imagine what a society would look like without a police department, through the lens of a radical sense of trust in our neighbors and the human capability of changing for the better.