9 Comments

I was never happier and had more meaning in my life than when my kids were young...

Expand full comment

At the risk of sounding overly Darwinian, or even narcissistic, I'd like to add that as I enter the twilight of my life and inch toward the abyss, I can take solace in the fact that I've left something of myself that I can be proud of behind.

Expand full comment

I think that's it for me as well. There's so much that is ambiguous and shifting about life and how to live it, the one thing that is not murky at the least is my relationship to my husband and children. It's as straightforward and natural as it gets. If there is one thing I was put on earth to do, it's definitely this. Everything else is optional.

Expand full comment

This recent “niche shift” of sorts from hardcore Dissident content to more “how to enjoy life as the world goes crazy” style work has been really good for this podcast, I think.

As a listener (and as a fellow member of the “culturally exiled to the European hinterlands”) who is currently planning their first child while still being heavily red-pilled on the stuff we regularly discuss in this space - the recent interviews / questions are a welcome respite from the daily Twitter wars (Covfefe vs. MartyrMade this week, Hanania vs. the Dissidents etc.) that, while sometimes informative, are increasingly “useless” for those of us who want to have some kind of traditional future.

So this podcast was pleasant and “adult-facing”, and I applaud Alex and Tara for providing a non-normie but wholly mature convo, and most of all... a somewhat hopeful future that says that “a stable, happy, non-toxic home life IS possible” even as the West continues to commit seppuku.

Cheers for that and long may it continue!

Expand full comment

I'm very glad you like it! I do think the space has run out of gas a bit because most of the arguments are out there, things are becoming repetitive and most of the engagement comes in the form of huge beefs re: more or less subtle disagreements about the canon or over the top escalation stuff like anime teens screeching about TND. I'm days away from having another baby, so we'll see what and who is interesting and generative and worthwhile when I come out of the newborn haze. There's definitely a need for more practical and balanced content, I feel it myself. You get adrenal fatigue from years of autistic screeching, even if there is a real cause for outrage. This is still where most of the creative energy is on the web, so I think there will be some useful conversations coming up :)

Expand full comment

Lol "anime teens screeching TND" is a perfect way to describe most of the Twitter Right at this point, haha. Best of luck with the birth!

Indeed, it would be lovely if Dissidents focused more on how to make money during the cultural apocalypse, how to raise a family (as you're discussing), how to stay "off grid" - meaning whatever people would like that to mean - and so on. Practical stuff.

As you said, most of the arguments are out there - Scott Adams as an example - why do we need to speak about the BQ anymore? Let's focus on WHERE in the West to live, how to make money to not get "Nigel Farage'd", etc.

Anyway thanks for the comment and keep them coming!

Expand full comment

Excellent podcast Alex!

Expand full comment

Thank you, Dave! Glad you enjoyed it!

Expand full comment

Conversations like this one and those you conducted with Mary Harrington, Peachy Keenan, Helen Roy etc should be mandatory for all women.

The sheer joy of motherhood emanates from each of you.

This was no exception and I was delighted to hear Tara extol the virtues of ‘Hold onto Your Kids’ which is, by far, the most influential parenting book I have read.

The most relevant summary I have found, which I continue to reference, is:

“The root of the problem is that children no longer look to adults for emotional support, the teaching of values, or the modeling of behavior. Peer orientation refers to the tendency of children and youth to look to their peers for direction: for their sense of right and wrong, codes of conduct, and their very identity. Peer orientation undermines family cohesion, sabotages healthy development and fosters an aggressive and prematurely sexualized youth culture. For parents already challenged by the demands of our multitasking world and stretched by stark economic realities, peer orientation further complicates the task of child rearing. Children were never meant by nature to be in a position where they are so dominant in influencing one another. This state of affairs may be the norm today, but it’s neither natural nor healthy. Historically it is a very new development, due to economic and social influences prevalent since World War II, resulting in a deep undermining of adult-child connections.”

The wisdom and advise contained in the book has shaped and informed our parenting style more than anything else and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Expand full comment