If a debate isn’t about facts and arguments, what is it about? In this episode I look to a high school debate Tournament of Champions for the answer. As you will hear this next generation is Green, they’re mean, and they are discovering new territories of being human that are essential for the coming Integral stage.

Hey folks!

The New York Times has published two major columns by columnist David Brooks criticizing the modern meritocracy and the postmodern therapeutic culture.

It’s always interesting when somebody stops and tries to see the world of their opponents and I deeply appreciate Brooks and the New York Times for doing it.

New stages of culture seek to dissolve the value structures of the stages they are emerging out of. Brooks helped me understand how he, I and our cool friends have participated in deconstructing the values of traditionalism with little regard to the price paid by the people who hold them.

Based on the readers’ comments, I appreciated Brooks’ columns a lot more than the NYT’s subscribers did. But oh how Brooks and his argument would benefit from an evolutionary view, one that sees culture and consciousness becoming more mature in all its beautiful but not pretty ways. I make my case in the podcast. Enjoy!

– Jeff Salzman

PS: The next Fireside chat will be on September 20th. Here’s the Zoom link. Check out other Integral Life Live Events here.

Hey folks,

Barbie tells the story of the cultural evolution of women in three stages. In the traditional world girls play with baby dolls, practicing the sacred roles of domesticity and motherhood. The Barbie doll, introduced in 1959, represents a modern sensibility, first as a fashion doll with which girls could express themselves, then as a feminist trailblazer who could do anything and go anywhere, including the moon and the White House.

A billion dolls later, Barbie, the movie, tells this developmental story in a thoroughly postmodern way. It’s a frolicking, hot-pink, meta-mishmash of feminist critique, teenage angst, existential dread, gender-fluidity (asexuality featured), power-dynamics and a perpetual war on the patriarchy. All of which gets us … not very far. Margot Robbie is perfection in the role. More in the episode – enjoy!

Jeff Salzman

Hey folks!

In this episode, I look at the evolutionary significance of our emerging mediaverse, with its gusher of entertainment coming to us from all over the world. How do we navigate it? We ask our friends! In that spirit I offer:

This episode is edited from the regular Fireside Chat I host with the Integral Life Practice community. Check out all their offerings on integral living at www.integrallife.com/calendar

Join me for the next live Fireside Chat

Enjoy the episode!

Jeff Salzman

Hey Folks,

In this Daily Evolver I explore a variety of topics: 

This episode is recorded from the live “Fireside Chat” I do twice a month (1st and 3rd Wednesdays) for Integral Life.  Join us live if you can this coming Wednesday the 29th at 1 PT, 4ET. 

Integral Life is building an impressive community of integral practitioners, and you can check out all the opportunities to participate here.  

I hope you enjoy this episode!  

Jeff Salzman