I came across Brent Cooper’s writing while looking for more cogent explanations of what’s happening in the global metacrisis. There were often pieces missing from the narrative in various spaces. When I came across Brent’s writing, something clicked. I began sending his article to other sensemakers, and they remarked that Brent’s perspectives expressed exactly what they were seeing.

My journey through epistemic spaces has been filled with many insights into the unconscious drivers that form people’s biases. Everyone’s different and we’re not here to have everyone think or act the same. However, the problem today is that people are hiding, in denial of larger realities because they’re afraid to transform and change into higher versions of themselves. That is our problem today.

If you’ve come across or even been hooked by various names in the online space of so-called public intellectuals (e.g., Jordan Peterson, Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Eric Weinstein) and if you’re looking to become more adept at being present to the complex challenges of our world today, this episode is for you. I don’t hate any of these people, but I have serious issues with their thinking. If they’re going to send out distorted frequencies and ideas to the not-self collective and make careers out of them, they should expect some pushback.

Key Topics

00:00 - Introduction

00:58 - Start of Conversation

02:19 - Being an “Anti-Professional”

03:17 - Sociology & Beyond Integral Theory

05:36 - Brent’s Content and Relationship to Integral

07:30 - Integral Theory’s Ceilings and Dead Ends

08:55 - New Paradigm Creation & Epistemic Tension

10:08 - We’re in the Darkest Timeline & Decolonization

12:16 - The Importance of Sociology in Epistemic Spaces

15:26 - The Lack of Sociological Consciousness in Society

19:02 - The Abs-Tract Organization + What Is Abstraction?

26:08 - The Intellectual Dark Web Is Leaving Things Out

28:44 - “Epistemic Humility” and Weaponized Incompetence

31:22 - Dealing With People’s Structures of Interpretation

31:58 - Optimizing Response Through Fierce Grace

35:00 - How the World Was Gaslit on Capitalism

37:00 - The Dearth of Aesthetics of Communism

39:26 - Whole Careers Are Built on Hatred

45:48 - Giving Everyday People Access to More Ideas

49:38 - The Race to the Bottom of the Brainstem

54:45 - Systems Thinking, Dogma, and Brent’s Books

57:26 - The Problem with Steven Pinker’s Work

1:02:40 - Brent’s Work, Patreon, and Links

1:06:36 - Good Abstraction Is Getting Real

Brent Cooper

Brent Cooper is Executive Director of The Abs-Tract Organization, a meta think tank and transmedia project committed to solving the world's systemic problems through a process of complexity reduction known as abstraction. In this episode, Brent and I talk about the critical role of political sociology in 21st-century issues, the limitations of Wilber’s integral theory, the dynamics of modern discourse, and the true meaning of independent thinking as it pertains to complex topics. Brent brings a political and sociological perspective that grounds epistemic thinkers and philosophers in the realities of people’s lived experiences.

Resources & Affiliate Links

Vicious Abstract and Systemic Racism by Brent Cooper

Woman Warrior: A Training for 21st Century Systems Change by Rayner Jae Liu

Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a Future Without Work by Srnicek and Williams

The Power Elite by C. Wright Mills

The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills

White Collar: The American Middle Classes by C. Wright Mills

The Meaning of Truth by William James

Guest Links & Contact

The Abs-Tract Organization and Contact: abs-tract.org

Abs-Tract Medium: medium.com/the-abs-tract-organization

Abs-Tract Twitter: twitter.com/tato_tweets

Abs-Tract Facebook: tinyurl.com/abs-tract-fb-page

Abs-Tract YouTube: youtube.com/Abs-tractOrg

Abs-Tract Patreon: patreon.com/abs_tract

Contact me about being a guest or invite me on your show: raynerjaeliu.com

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Robyn Short is a colleague with high emotional intelligence and what we might call dignity intelligence—the ability to help people experience a sense that their experiences matter. We’re often so limited by existing levels of development that we forget that our more infinite capacities and longings are actually fundamental needs and that by inverting the paradigm, we can actually actualize the things that current levels of development or popular paradigms say they want (e.g., creativity, productivity).

Robyn also has several interesting ideas that have given me language for things I knew I was doing in my work but didn’t have words for. For example, she talks about homeostasis mind, among other ideas, in her professional webinar series on New Paradigm Leadership at the Workplace Peace Institute.

While we have different perspectives and approaches, the fact that we landed on almost the same name should tell you a lot about her worldview. Whereas I’ve always focused on intuition and interdisciplinary connections around life purpose, whole-life transformation, integration, and social innovation more generally, I really appreciate Robyn’s emphasis around safety, belonging, and these things that are foundational for high levels of performance as well as larger social transformations. I hope you enjoy the episode.

Key Topics

00:00 - Introduction

01:22 - Start of Conversation

03:53 - Robyn’s Origin Story

09:40 - Newtonian Workplaces

12:48 - Maslow’s Hierarchy

15:47 - The Tent Encampment

19:08 - Working with Organizations

23:41 - Where Conflict Comes From

24:56 - Hierarchical Systems and Power

27:09 - The Intersection of Peace and Systems

28:20 - The United States as a System

31:00 - Anti-Authoritarian and Authoritarian

33:51 - Robyn’s Definition of Peace

34:50 - The Problems of Hierarchy and Scarcity

35:30 - Understanding the Vagus Nerve & Peace

41:40 - Changing Others vs. Changing Ourselves

47:30 - Who Profits From Division?

48:50 - Our Sphere of Influence

49:42 - Conclusion and Links

50:11 - Outro

Dr. Robyn Short, DLS

Dr. Robyn Short (she/her) is the Founder and CEO of the Workplace Peace Institute. Dr. Short helps individuals, teams and organizations resolve conflicts and build sustainable, purpose-driven environments. With a doctor of liberal studies and multiple master’s degrees, she is an expert in organization systems design, peace building, and transformative  mediation, and she's worked internationally with  community and political leaders to foster peace in areas of historic conflict.

Resources & Affiliate Links

Peace in the Workplace: Transforming Conflict Into Collaboration by Robyn Short

Communicating with Dignity and Curiosity: The Peacemaker's Handbook for Creating and Sustaining Peace by Robyn Short

Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks

Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings the Best by Donna Hicks

Reinventing Organizations: The Next Stage of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux

Reinventing Organizations: An Illustrated Invitation by Frederic Laloux

Guest Links & Contact

Workplace Peace Institute (WPI): workplacepeaceinstitute.com

WPI on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/workplace-peace-institute

Contact me about being a guest or invite me on your show: raynerjaeliu.com

Hi there, I’m so pleased to introduce the New Paradigm Leadership Podcast. As early as 2022, I was dreaming about moving to Austin to join the podcasting and comedy scene before life decided to have other plans.

I am excited to begin releasing episodes and do what I can to meet the great challenges of our time. I have always held that ancient wisdom provides far more answers than we think, and the insights and conversations I’ll be sharing will reflect those philosophies.

Don't forget to subscribe to my Substack for updates on new episodes. New episodes will be released as they become available, bringing you thought-provoking conversations and perspectives on the topics that matter.

Tune in to my 1-minute trailer above for a sneak peek of what's to come. In upcoming episodes, I’ll be exploring the role of dignity as a core human need and the role of sociology in political philosophy with experts in the field.

If you're excited about the content we'll be sharing, please spread the word and share the podcast with others who might be interested. Together, we can create a community dedicated to learning and evolving.

Thank you for your support, and I look forward to embarking on this journey with you. Stay tuned for new episodes, and remember—transition demands evolution, and evolution is easier together!