In this thought-provoking episode, Eric explores how we build fences in our communities long before we construct physical barriers. Beginning with reflections on his high school performance in “Oklahoma!” and its famous song about farmers and cowmen, he examines the tensions that arise from our desire to control resources and define belonging. Through contrasting post-apocalyptic fiction with real-world examples, Eric contemplates a provocative question: Do disasters bring out our best collaborative instincts, or does abundance make us more selfish? Drawing on Steinbeck’s insights from “The Grapes of Wrath,” he suggests that our impulse to hoard resources stems not primarily from scarcity, but from our attachment to ownership and control. This episode challenges listeners to consider how the boundaries we create shape our identities and relationships, and whether it might be possible to find common ground without waiting for a catastrophe to force our cooperation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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