It was a pleasure to talk with Randy Blythe for the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Most people know Randy as the frontman of the heavy metal band Lamb of God. The band has ten studio albums (including two under the name Burn the Priest) including their recent 2020 album Memento Mori. Metal Hammer rated them as one of the greatest American heavy metal bands in history. Rolling Stone rated their album, As The Palaces Burn, (2003) as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. And Loudwire declares, “Ask any metalhead — Randy Blythe is one of the best guttural vocalists on the planet.”

 In our discussion, Blythe discusses how he uses the concept of being protean – or the ability to change frequently or easily – to living his life. We discuss a range of domains in which Blythe applies this concept – including how he uses it to survive addiction and maintain sobriety, as well as to manage during the coronavirus pandemic. Further, he discusses some of the methods he uses to maintain being protean, including meditation and creativity. 

Certainly, on face value, there are many reasons why being “protean” may be associated with improved mental health and well-being. Perhaps most importantly, being protean implies an increased ability to cope. Specifically, the ability to mobilize and orient to changes in one’s life, especially stressful changes, will make it easier to deal with difficult situations. But the way Blythe describes being protean, it goes beyond just flexible coping. He describes an openness to experience – an orientation to life that receives the world as it is rather than how he in theory wants it to be. 

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that being protean may improve our mental health and well-being. We hope you enjoy listening to how Blythe applies the concept and that you learn lessons about being protean that you can apply in your own life!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices