Overview:
In this episode, we examine the way modern life — and particularly American capitalism — wears people down by design. From overwork to medical debt to housing costs, the system is built to exhaust you emotionally, physically, and spiritually. And that exhaustion isn’t a flaw. It’s a feature.
When people are in survival mode, they don’t have the energy to protest, vote, or imagine better. We look at how exhaustion serves authoritarian goals, and why reclaiming rest, grief, and joy are forms of resistance.
In This Episode:
The emotional architecture of burnout
How fear and survival thinking block long-term vision
Examples of deliberate policy and systemic choices that destabilize people
Why spiritual bypassing and prosperity gospel theology reinforce exhaustion
What happens when people no longer believe they deserve flourishing
Key Concepts Covered:
Prospect Theory and loss aversion in political behavior
PERMAH breakdown in systems of inequality
Weaponized uncertainty: financial, medical, legal, and emotional
Burnout as a design strategy, not personal failure
Featured Frameworks:
THX: 12 Utilities (esp. Resource, Safety, Fairness)
PERMAH: Why people stop dreaming or reaching for joy
Admiration Equation: Why we stop believing others are worthy (or that we are)
Memorable Quote:
“When you’re just trying to survive the day, you can’t afford to imagine the world as it could be — and that’s exactly what they’re counting on.”
Reflection Prompt:
Where in your life have you been made to feel like needing rest, care, or help is a personal failure instead of a systemic design?
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