Nature, Nurture, and the Third Factor

Some weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Jessie Mannisto, Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Third Factor Magazine as well as Genspect’s editor. This conversation was published yesterday for her new Third Factor podcast. Jessie has a passion for the Theory of Positive Disintegration, which if you’ve been hanging out at the SMP very long, you’re certain to have heard me riff about. In our conversation I talk about what attracts me to this framework and why I think it’s useful for families with trans-identified kiddos–especially the families who find my work interesting. This may be the first interview I’ve been invited to where the sole focus wasn’t on parenting a trans-identified kid, though we certainly talk plenty about that–it was my context for diving into TPD.  Yet, I appreciated and enjoyed that we get to come at it from a different angle of what it means to be authentically human. I like to think this is what I bring to the party; a unique perspective not mired in the sea floor of the ocean we’re swimming in (gender ideology.) As I’ve said in the past, I see gender confusion as just one more symptom of humanity’s general soul sickness. 

In the interview, we come quickly to a question about control and my aversion to it. This conversation has really inspired me to organize and make efforts to communicate my thoughts on our relationship to control and how shifting that is really the key to a better experience. (Letting go, faith, impulses as information rather than something to be controlled–more on this to come!) I’d go so far as to say that we come much closer to solving some of humanity’s big problems if more of us recognize the power of making this shift and are inspired to work toward it. I know that’s a pretty bold statement, and I stand by it. 

I’ve started an article on this topic of control–even mentioned it to a handful of clients–but it’s requiring more care than some of the other pieces that seem to almost explode out of my brain onto the keyboard. I’m hoping to get it finished up and published in the next few days. In the meantime, I’m really excited to introduce the SMP audience to Jessie’s new podcast where the conversation is focused on one of my favorite topics, “the search for the higher path in Life”!  

https://www.thirdfactor.org/podcast/episode-9-the-struggle-to-be-authentic-with-stoicmom/

Jessie references some of the content here on the SMP, so here are quick links to that content:

Butterflies Becoming

Perceiving a Higher Path

My Personal Life Philosophy

p.s. I’ve got an interview scheduled to record on Monday for conversations along the way, and if it goes the direction I hope it does, I think this conversation with Jessie will be very complimentary.