DeepSummary
The episode explores the idea of giving up and letting go, which is often seen as a sign of weakness, but can sometimes be the strongest and most courageous thing to do. John Oakes, author of 'The Fast', discusses the history, philosophy, and benefits of fasting, and how it allows one to step back and create space for new perspectives. Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips explains the importance of 'giving up' certainties and embracing the unknown, arguing that pleasure can be found in the unfamiliar and incoherent aspects of life.
Maggie Jackson, author of 'Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure', shares insights from her research on the science of uncertainty. She highlights how uncertainty can sharpen focus, expand working memory, and invite learning. Jackson also emphasizes the value of tolerating discomfort and cultivating a sense of wonder about the unknown.
The episode challenges the cultural emphasis on persistence, efficiency, and having all the answers. It explores the liberating potential of embracing uncertainty, being open to possibilities, and letting go of the need for control and certainty.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Giving up and embracing uncertainty can be a courageous act that opens up new perspectives and possibilities.
- Fasting and other practices of letting go can create space for contemplation and new insights.
- Embracing uncertainty can sharpen focus, expand working memory, and invite learning.
- Tolerating discomfort and cultivating a sense of wonder about the unknown can be liberating.
- The cultural emphasis on persistence, efficiency, and having all the answers can limit our ability to embrace the unknown.
- Psychoanalysis and other forms of self-exploration can help individuals let go of defensive patterns and open up to the unfamiliar.
- Embracing uncertainty requires a willingness to let go of certainties and familiar pleasures.
- The wisdom of giving up and letting go can be found in various traditions, from fasting to protest movements.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “If you're not a religious person, the question is, what is the point of one's suffering, or why go on living one's life if one's not enjoying it?“ by Adam Phillips
- “If you're drinking adequately, you just feel a little discomfort for the first 48 to 72 hours. It gets boring after a while. You miss. It wasn't so much that I was hungry, but I really missed the taste, the flavor of foods.“ by John Oakes
- “It's as though we know what we're looking for and we find it if we can. And she talks about it as predatory or as full of appetite, whereas wide angle detention is almost what it says it is, which is you look widely without knowing what you're looking for or that you are looking for anything.“ by Adam Phillips
- “I really find that I can be in the moment, which is essentially uncertainty, and we can explore possibilities if they want to. Or I can even just acknowledge the fact that they're in this liminal gray zone, that they've given up or left behind a certain answer, but to be there with them.“ by Maggie Jackson
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Episode Information
To The Best Of Our Knowledge
Wisconsin Public Radio
4/27/24
We get the message before we’re out of training pants – when the going gets tough, look on the bright side, make lemonade out of lemons and just do it. We’re gonna consider the exact opposite – the wisdom of giving up and letting go. Because sometimes, the strongest and most courageous thing you can do is walk away.
Original Air Date: April 27, 2024
Interviews In This Hour:
The power and boundary-breaking of fasting — How do we know when to call it quits? — Escaping the tyranny of certainty
Guests:
John Oakes, Adam Phillips, Maggie Jackson
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