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PODCAST

The Absurd World Podcast

The Absurd World Podcast

The Absurd World is a podcast that dives headfirst into the chaos of existence, exploring life’s biggest (and weirdest) questions through the lens of existentialism, absurdity, and a healthy dose of humor. Hosted by existential psychotherapist Jesse Gill, LCSW, this show unpacks the meaning(lessness) of life, authenticity, and human nature—while also embracing the ridiculousness of it all. Whether you’re questioning reality, laughing at the void, or just trying to make sense of being alive, you’re

society & culture philosophy

All Episodes

00:30:42

Ep. 51 - What If I’m Wrong?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/02/22

What does it mean to be wrong about something? And maybe more importantly, what does it say about us to be the kind of person who can be wrong? In everyday life, people seem intensely convinced that they’re right, often in completely opposing ways. So should we begin questioning what it even means to be wrong in the first place?In this week’s episode, I dive into the ideas of right and wrong, truth and falsehood. On a deeper level, can we really be as wrong as people make it seem? Or is the concept

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00:21:41

Ep. 50 - Am I Disconnected From My World?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/02/15

Am I truly connected to my world? Do I feel a sense of belonging with the people and places around me? Do I engage with life in a way that brings unity, or am I simply moving through it on autopilot, barely noticing as it slips by?In this episode, we return to Transcendentalism to wrestle with one of its central questions: what does it mean to be genuinely connected to the world? With the guidance of American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, we explore what it might look like to return to our

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00:23:46

Ep. 49 - Am I Self-Reliant?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/02/08

What do I believe? What do I think? What are my opinions? In any given moment, how do I actually feel about myself and the world around me, apart from the constant influence of the society I live in? These can feel like impossibly difficult questions to answer, yet they may be among the most important. And perhaps the hardest question of all: if I truly knew the answers, would I embrace them… or run from them?In this week’s episode, I explore the idea of self-reliance as taught by the

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00:27:27

Ep. 48 - Am I A Failure?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/02/01

We all fail. It’s part of being human; trying, falling short of our own standards or those imposed on us by others. Most of us know this experience well, and for many it’s one of the most painful we face. Failure can bring shame, self-hatred, alienation, and the urge to disappear. But what if failure isn’t something to fear or avoid? What if it’s something we should actively seek?In this week’s episode, I ask a simple but unsettling question: What is failure, and is it really that bad? Building on

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00:11:21

What Do I Do? - Thoughts on Minneapolis

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/01/26

Minneapolis has me thinking, as I assume it has a lot of us. I reflect on the state of the world, my country, philosophy, and I ask myself and you all, what are we supposed to do?

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00:35:54

Ep. 47 - Am I Too Self-Aware? Part 2

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/01/25

We are self-aware to the point that some see it as a curse, the true source of human suffering. And yet we persist, searching for meaning and purpose in an existence that appears to offer neither inherently. But what happens when we grow tired of performing, of wearing masks, of playing the roles we think we must? What does it mean to live authentically in that raw, honest space? And what might it look like for nihilism to overcome itself?In this episode, I explore self-awareness not as something to

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00:26:43

Ep. 46 - Am I Too Self-Aware? Part 1

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/01/18

As humans, we possess a rare capacity: the ability to reflect on ourselves, to question our existence, to create meaning, and to build entire belief systems around a single question: why? But what if this gift is also a burden?After several heavy episodes, I step back to ask whether we might be too self-aware for our own good. Drawing on the bleak and provocative reflections of Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa and Norwegian philosopher Peter Wessel Zapffe, we confront an unsettling possibility:

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00:37:06

Ep. 45 - What Do We Owe Each Other?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/01/11

Over the past few episodes, we’ve explored the flaws, struggles, and misguided judgments that have shaped our society into something many people find difficult to live within, let alone find happiness, dignity, or peace. So what now?In this episode, we explore another possibility: anarchism. From David Graeber to Peter Kropotkin, Emma Goldman to Henry David Thoreau, we encounter voices that have called for change for centuries, and a tradition far more nuanced than its reputation suggests.Along the

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00:27:07

Ep. 44 - What Does Society Owe Me?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2026/01/04

The current way of doing things isn’t working for a lot of people anymore. People are angry. People are demanding lives that feel worth living—less alienated from the things that matter most. It may be why democratic socialism is gaining traction in the U.S. But what does it actually mean? And what are the trade-offs?In this week’s episode, we explore why so many people want change, where that change might lead, and why we seem unable to get there. With the misguided cautionary tale of political

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00:30:21

Ep. 43 - What Do I Owe My Job?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/12/28

We work, constantly. For many of us, it consumes most of our waking hours, and we do it simply to survive, often just barely. We’re told we should feel grateful to have a job at all, lucky to be paid to do something many don’t enjoy. Gratitude and loyalty are expected… but when did work become something we owe?In this episode, we trace the history of work and examine how capitalism has shaped modern labor. With the help of anthropologist David Graeber and capitalism’s forefather Adam Smith, we ask a

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00:38:00

Ep. 42 - How Do I Actually Change My World?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/12/21

Philosophy has shaped how we understand ourselves, our relationships, and our world. It has challenged our stories about reality and pushed us to question what we take for granted. But sometimes thinking isn’t enough. Sometimes philosophy must move us toward direct action, especially when the world we live in becomes unlivable.In this week’s episode, we explore what it means to use philosophy as a catalyst for real change. Drawing from Simone Weil and Henry David Thoreau, and building on Episodes 21

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00:30:06

Ep. 41 - Should I Kill My Ego? - The Unconscious Part 3

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/12/14

When we think of the unconscious mind, we imagine mystery, depth, and vast uncharted territory. It can feel unsettling to consider what might surface when we stop keeping everything neatly tucked away. But what if the unconscious isn’t just chaos? What if it can be mapped?In this final episode of our series on the unconscious, we turn to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung to explore what it might mean to truly encounter the parts of ourselves we don’t consciously claim. As we descend into the psyche, we

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00:36:26

Ep. 40 - How Can I Know What’s Real? - The...

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/12/07

Since the beginning of this podcast, I’ve been asking the question: “Who am I?” As if finding ourselves would unlock endless possibilities.But what if the answer to that question is far more unsettling than we ever imagined?What if the “you” you think you know… isn’t the real you at all?In this week’s episode, we continue our series on the unconscious mind by diving into the work of French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan—his theories on fantasies, mirrors, and the ever-mysterious, ever-unnerving

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00:30:58

Ep. 39 - Am I Living A Lie? - The Unconscious Part 1

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/11/30

What’s going on in your mind? What’s going on in mine?Sure, we know the surface-level stuff—the things we say, think, and do every day… but what’s deeper than that? What’s hiding in the dim, weird corridors of my psyche?This week kicks off a three-part series exploring and mapping the interior of the unconscious mind. We start with the general structure Sigmund Freud laid out and build from there.I just hope I don’t uncover anything sinister lurking in the recesses of my mind. Like a desire to kill

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00:33:44

Ep. 38 - Am I Virtue Signaling?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/11/23

I’ve got a podcast where I talk about ethics, morals, human rights, solidarity, and why we should be fighting for each other instead of against each other. A lot of you care about the same causes. Many of you take action every day because you believe it’s the right thing to do. But… what if some of the “good” we do isn’t actually good? What if, even without realizing it, we’re doing something much more insidious?In this week’s episode, we take a hard look at virtue signaling: the act of performing

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00:32:53

Ep. 37 - Should I Fight Gender Norms?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/11/16

Gender norms. What a topic. People argue about it. Fight, scream, and yell. Your uncle won’t stop bringing it up at every family gathering, whether he’s talking about bathrooms, sports, or… well… everything else. Why does it feel like such a hot-button issue today, yet remain wildly misunderstood by those shouting the loudest?In this week’s episode, we unpack what gender and its norms really are. With insights from Simone de Beauvoir, Bell Hooks, and Martha Nussbaum, we explore why gender carries so

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00:33:40

Ep. 36 - How Should I Feel About Sex?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/11/09

Sex. It’s woven through society, adulthood, and relationships. We’re told it should be one of the most important parts of a healthy, loving partnership, but what do we actually think about it? Do we place way too much weight on something we all seem to understand differently? Or barely understand at all?In this episode we get down and dirty with one of the biggest topics in modern life. With the help of Simone de Beauvoir, Bell Hooks, and Rollo May, we explore the impact sex has on society and daily

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00:30:12

Ep. 35 - Why Can’t I Feel?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/11/02

Emotions, what are they, really? Why do we have them? Why do we struggle to express them? And for some of us… why is it so hard to feel them at all?In this week’s episode, I take a deep look at emotions, why they exist, the roles they play in our daily lives, and why so many of us find ourselves disconnected from them. With help from Bell Hooks, Brené Brown, and Rollo May, we’ll also explore how social expectations can pressure entire groups of people to stay numb just to fit in... or even

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00:58:05

Ep. 34 - HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/10/26

It’s almost Halloween!And to celebrate, we’re digging into one of the most chilling topics of all — Existential Horror.Through film and literature, we’ll descend into the strange, the unsettling, and the deeply human fears of ambiguity, helplessness, and loss of control.Spoiler alert for the following works:EnemyFoeI Who Have Never Known MenA Collapse of HorsesThe Empty ManRoadside PicnicAnnihilationAll Tomorrows

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00:39:26

Ep. 33 - Do I Have Trauma?

The Absurd World Podcast ·

2025/10/19

Throughout my career as a psychotherapist, I’ve worked closely with people healing from trauma. It’s been one of the main focuses of my practice, and in this week’s episode, we’re diving deep into that very topic, asking the question: how much can trauma be treated philosophically?With insights from thinkers like Judith Herman, Peter Levine, Robert Jackman, and David Spiegel, we’ll peel back the many layers of what trauma really is, from its definitions and neuroscience, to its social roots and the

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53 results

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