Tag: compassion

Audacious Compassion 026 – Schrödinger’s Ableist

We talk about how to persuade people to be compassionate.

This is a combined October/November episode, with a transcription coming soon! Our prompt came from a friend of the show:

So yeah, like, I play a lot of video games, like you do, and I consider myself open-minded and respectful of other people while playing. I play with a lot of friends who sometimes use certain language that might offend someone of another ethnicity or gender. I try my best to let them know that this kind of behavior is not nice and might scare off anybody else (women/transgender/another race) away from playing video games.  How can I deal with situations like this?

Gregory discussed Unsong, an online book about morality, Kabbalah, and what happens after the world ends. Melissa discussed Naughty No More: Change Unwanted Behaviors Through Positive Reinforcement, a book about training cats. (Other cat behavior management book suggestions are welcome!)

If you have a submission of an everyday situation where it’s difficult for you to stay empathetic or compassionate, write us at: us@avery-weir.net

Audacious Compassion 025 – Ramen Philosophy

We talk about demonstrating active compassion in the face of systemic injustice.

Our prompt came from a friend of the show and was paraphrased from a verbal conversation:

I really like your show, but I have a hard time figuring out how to apply your ideas. I work in an industry where I see active misogyny all the time, but even being a small business owner, I don’t feel like I have any power to help the people around me. If I refuse to work with a supplier or bank because they treat women like shit, they won’t even notice. I’m not doing well enough to hire more than a temp employee, and I put my own livelihood at risk if I call people out. How do I keep from feeling powerless and how do I act compassionately instead of just feeling angry about what I see?

As resources for battling altruism fatigue, we recommend Kelsey Piper, who blogs at theunitofcaring.tumblr.com and is newly a staff writer for Vox; and DeRay McKesson, a civil rights organizer, activist, and writer.

Melissa discussed friend of the show Lucy Arnold. Gregory discussed LeftTube, including ContraPoints, Philosophy Tube, Shaun, HBomberGuy, Lindsay Ellis, and Folding Ideas. ContraPoints’s recent video, “Incels,” is embedded below.

If you have a submission of an everyday situation where it’s difficult for you to stay empathetic or compassionate, write us at: us@avery-weir.net

Audacious Compassion 024 – Enjoying That Hamburger

We talk about being compassionate toward a group of anonymous people that you perceive as immorally complacent.

Content warnings for this episode: mention of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.

We also talk about The Norwood Suite by Cosmo D; Fallen London by Failbetter Games; and Melissa’s Fallen London fiction, “The Bazaar Correspondent“.

If you have a submission of an everyday situation where it’s difficult for you to stay empathetic or compassionate, write us at: us@avery-weir.net

Audacious Compassion 023 – Be Dramatic

We discuss recognizing when people are making assumptions about the role family should have in your life and how to deal with that.

Content warnings for this episode: discussions of depression, family problems, and self-harm.

We also talk about #loveindies week, which we participated in, and He, She and It by Marge Piercy.

Please share any comments you have! If you have a submission of an everyday situation where it’s hard for you to be empathetic or compassionate, write us at: us@avery-weir.net

Audacious Compassion 021 – Unironic Devil’s Advocate

We discuss proxy arguments, where people are having a disagreement in place of a wider ideological argument.

In this episode, we look at the current state of the Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange. Why are people getting suspended left and right? Why does IPS seem to have more problems than other similar sites? What can they do to heal?

We also talk about James Comey’s A Higher Loyalty and the new revival of Queer Eye.

For more information on the Spoon Theory, visit Christine Miserandino’s post introducing the concept.

Please share any comments you have! If you have a submission of an everyday situation where it’s hard for you to be empathetic or compassionate, write us at: us@avery-weir.net