Interview: The Similarities and Differences of Ideal and Self-Interested Communities

Now a monthly regular on Ivan Alfaro's podcast (From Pain to Gain) and youtube channel (Leaving the Rat Cage), we dive into another insightful discussion about what makes a group self-interest oriented and what causes another to thrive for the combination of the individuals and collective. We also explore these similarities between the two groups and why we're attracted to corruption.

The C.A.G.E. Framework

We walk through this topic using Ivan's C.A.G.E. framework which stands for Complacency, Atrophy, Guilt, and Escape.

Discussion Topics

Here's a list of the topics we hit on throughout our conversation.

• The unaddressed issues that lead to a failed business partnership
• Tolerating toxicity & having nothing to lose
• Self-righteousness and how it opens the door to personal corruption
• A World After Liberalism: Philosophers of the Radical Right (affiliate link)
• "Consider that your protracted conflict is a signal that you and your opponent have probably become identified with the poles of the conflict." - Robert Kegan, In Over Our Heads
• Breaking the cycle of violence
• Taking responsibility versus sole self-interest pursuit
• My personal news and political project journey
• Purpose, loneliness, and friendship
• Snapping rubber bands
• Conflict aversion and passive aggressivity
• How community helps absorbs the impact of crises
• How easily we can justify evil
• "I made the effort, and it was possible for me, to shoot only children. It so happened that the mothers led the children by the hand. My neighbor then shot the mother and I shot the child that belonged to her, because I reasoned with myself that after all without its mother the child could not live any longer. It was supposed to be, so to speak, soothing to my conscience to release the children unable to live without their mothers." - Ordinary Men, Christopher Browning, Page 73
• Commitment to God versus an ideology
• "A person’s character determines how he interprets God’s will... Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually the voice of the devil." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
• Dealing with sin when we have that same sin
• When our way is no longer working
• We are all wagering our lives
• Unintentional versus intentional abandonment
• When helping hurts

Listen to the Conversation

If you prefer to listen to the conversation, you can do so below or use this link.

Watch This Discussion

Click here to watch this conversation directly on Youtube here or using the embed below.

Additional Resources

• Check out my past interview with Ivan here
• Check out our past conversation about leaving the Rat Cage here
• Read about 4 ways we can respond to those who ask for help
• Explore the discussion with Ivan about when Jesus goes before Herod in my Garden to the Cross series