Something a bit different this week from the deeper more than human dive we’ve been on in the last few episodes. I’m in conversation with Matthew Barr of Adventure Sport Podcast Looking Sideways Matt has released nearly 250 episodes on his podcast with some of the biggest, humblest and most interesting names in Surfing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding and related pursuits.
Thank you both, that was really interesting. My main takeaway was we have so much to learn and unlearn, and we need spaces to encourage just that.
On the topic of why people aren't turning up to protests, maybe it is due to the fact that we're conditioned by modern capitalism, to think about our own self interests, and to celebrate competition. To measure our success through the things we own.
We take experiences from nature, treat it as capital, with little thought. I would echo Matt's point that next to no-one in outdoor sports is really connecting with nature. We use it to create memories, and for self interest, such as physical fitness, mental health or sporting recognition. All of these ideas place us at the centre.
When we take collective action like joining a protest it's about the greater good, it's about the whole. Maybe we're just not wired to think that way anymore? And we end up thinking that it's someone else's problem.
Which with the pressures of the modern world is kind of acceptable. Time is precious, especially when loads of it is absorbed as we've become the product through our mobile phones.
That's where I see a blending of both your thoughts, as Dan says we need to become crew, and this all starts with inner reflection. I don't think we'll turn up to a protest in numbers until we've fixed ourselves a bit. Until we've started thinking of ourselves as citizens not consumers. Until we measure our worth in something other than capital. Until we've put the phone down and picked up the book.
In my view a citizen turns up, and a consumer heads to Wetherspoons.
Thank you both, that was really interesting. My main takeaway was we have so much to learn and unlearn, and we need spaces to encourage just that.
On the topic of why people aren't turning up to protests, maybe it is due to the fact that we're conditioned by modern capitalism, to think about our own self interests, and to celebrate competition. To measure our success through the things we own.
We take experiences from nature, treat it as capital, with little thought. I would echo Matt's point that next to no-one in outdoor sports is really connecting with nature. We use it to create memories, and for self interest, such as physical fitness, mental health or sporting recognition. All of these ideas place us at the centre.
When we take collective action like joining a protest it's about the greater good, it's about the whole. Maybe we're just not wired to think that way anymore? And we end up thinking that it's someone else's problem.
Which with the pressures of the modern world is kind of acceptable. Time is precious, especially when loads of it is absorbed as we've become the product through our mobile phones.
That's where I see a blending of both your thoughts, as Dan says we need to become crew, and this all starts with inner reflection. I don't think we'll turn up to a protest in numbers until we've fixed ourselves a bit. Until we've started thinking of ourselves as citizens not consumers. Until we measure our worth in something other than capital. Until we've put the phone down and picked up the book.
In my view a citizen turns up, and a consumer heads to Wetherspoons.