"It never gets easier, you just go faster."

- Greg LeMond

We continue our tying together of all of season one in this extension of the prior episode's conversation, further elaborating on the idea of embracing and finding fulfillment in the struggle, because there is actually no achievable, lasting state of "win".

Statis itself is a myth and illusion. Conservatism is self-defeating. Jane Fonda is a traitor b*tch. Candide is the funniest book written in the 1700s. And Joel is recording in a haunted house with constantly creaking doors in the background.

"Ye shall love peace as a means to new wars—and the short peace more than the long.

You I advise not to work, but to fight. You I advise not to peace, but to victory. Let your work be a fight, let your peace be a victory!

...

War and courage have done more great things than charity. Not your sympathy, but your bravery hath hitherto saved the victims.

'What is good?' ye ask. To be brave is good. Let the little girls say: 'To be good is what is pretty, and at the same time touching.'

...

Ye shall only have enemies to be hated, but not enemies to be despised. Ye must be proud of your enemies; then, the successes of your enemies are also your successes.

Resistance—that is the distinction of the slave. Let your distinction be obedience. Let your commanding itself be obeying!

To the good warrior soundeth 'thou shalt' pleasanter than 'I will.' And all that is dear unto you, ye shall first have it commanded unto you.

Let your love to life be love to your highest hope; and let your highest hope be the highest thought of life!

Your highest thought, however, ye shall have it commanded unto you by me—and it is this: man is something that is to be surpassed.

So live your life of obedience and of war! What matter about long life! What warrior wisheth to be spared!

I spare you not, I love you from my very heart, my brethren in war!"

- Thus Spoke Zarathustra

As we approach the end of season one, we bring the several episode long political discussion back to our philosophical roots. We address the pointlessness of attempting to rectify human nature based issues with superficial non-solutions, dismiss a nihilistic "black pill" take on the coming dystopia, hit the idea of "freedom from" vs "freedom for" in the context of the current societal situation, and begin the discussion (which we'll do a dedicated episode on next) of the difference between checking out of the herd to truly work on yourself vs simply retreating from adversity.

Episode notes:

The "tank meme" - https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hey-friend-listen-its-gonna-get-way-worse