Abby and Patrick welcome Jade E. Davis, author of the new book The Other Side of Empathy. They discuss Jade’s critique of naïve notions of “empathy” and what she calls “empathy culture.” They examine the ways empathy can flatten suffering, demand particular performances of suffering, and serve fantasies that there’s one “right way” to suffer and that the Oth ... Show More
Jan 31
131: Wild Analysis: Heated Rivalry Teaser
Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappinessAbby and Patrick discuss the runaway streaming sensation, Heated Rivalry. Adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels by Canadian director Jacob ... Show More
7m 21s
Jan 28
BONUS EPISODE: Romantasy, Fantasy, and Trauma
Abby joins Moira Donegan and Adrian Daub on one of our favorite podcasts, In Bed With the Right! The topic is romantasy - as a genre of fiction, as a publishing phenomenon, and, above all, as a cultural symptom. What do readers - and women specifically - find in romantasy narrati ... Show More
1h 16m
Jan 24
130: Movies, Screens, and Fantasies feat. A.S. Hamrah
Abby and Patrick welcome film critic A.S. Hamrah. Hamrah is a prolific writer of reviews, essays, and dispatches, and the two brand-new collections of his most recent work, Algorithm of the Night and Last Week in End Times Cinema, furnish Abby, Patrick, and Scott with the perfect ... Show More
1h 53m
Sep 2024
Talking Shit with Elizabeth Oldfield: On Becoming Fully Alive
<p>In Episode 71, we are joined by Elizabeth Oldfield, a writer, thinker, bridge builder, and Christian working out of the UK. We discuss her new book Fully Alive, and the rich worldview which underlies it. Elizabeth challenges us to live our principles in our daily lives, and to ... Show More
1h 11m
Oct 2025
Jane Goodall on Optimism, Hope and Conservation
We said goodbye to Jane Goodall, who passed away yesterday at 91 after a life that inspired millions. I feel so grateful to have had the chance to speak with her back in July 2022, a conversation I’ll never forget. Today, in honour of her incredible legacy, I want to re-share it ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2024
Changes Focus: Dealing with Grief - Cariad Lloyd, Grace Dent, Yebba, Jack Rooke
In this episode of Changes Focus we’re zooming in on a big change that we will probably all experience at some point - grief. Grief shapes us in different ways and hearing other people’s experiences of how they have coped with their loss can help in moving through our own. In thi ... Show More
24m 14s
Aug 2025
Sunday Pick: How to stop devoting yourself to your job (w/ Sarah Jaffe) | How to Be a Better Human
Sarah Jaffe is the author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. She and Chris discuss the emotional toll of modern work culture and the importance of community. They also dive into Sarah’s newest book, From the Ashes: Grief ... Show More
41m 24s
Feb 2025
CAT BURNS: AUTISM MADE ME FEEL I WAS DOING LIFE WRONG
<p>Cat Burns released a song on TikTok during lockdown, and quickly rose to becoming one of the UK’s best-selling female artists and a three-time BRIT Award nominee.</p><br><p>At just 24, her success is remarkable, but what struck me most was her wisdom and self-awareness. As som ... Show More
1h 6m
<p>Can you ever really know how another person feels? What’s the best way to support a grieving person? And why doesn’t Hallmark sell empathy cards? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://psychology.ku.edu/people/c-daniel-batson">Daniel Batson</a>, ... Show More
