#280: Why Growing Up Is a Subversive Act

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2017

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

But what if growing up doesn’t mean you have to be boring and lame? What if becoming a grown-up is actually a really rebellious act? That’s the argument my guest today makes in her latest book. Her name is Susan Neiman and she’s the author of 'Why Grow Up? Subversive Thoughts for an Infantile Age.' Today on the show, Susan and I discuss why becoming a grown-up has gotten a bad rap, how our culture— including smartphones— infantilizes us, and what the Enlightenment thinkers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Emanuel Kant can teach us about how to become a grown-up. Susan then goes on to share ideas on what you can do to feel more like an autonomous adult and why embracing that role is such a subversive thing to do.

Transcript

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0:00.0	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
0:13.9	[♪ INTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪
0:14.9	Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.
0:18.3	While looking around, there seems to be a dearth of grownups in art culture.
0:21.9	We put our premium on seeming cool and hip and will spend inordinates of money to retain
0:26.0	our youth and looks.
0:27.5	Meanwhile, being known as mature has become something to avoid entirely, as it signifies
0:32.5	you become a boring, staggy, old coot.
0:35.2	As a result, we've got a lot of folks in our society who are adults by merit of their
0:38.2	chronological age but don't appear or act like grownups.
0:41.4	But what if growing up doesn't mean you have to be boring and lame?
0:45.5	What if growing up is actually a really rebellious act?
0:48.6	Well, that's the argument I guess today makes in her latest book, her name is Susan Nieman,
0:52.2	and she's the author of Why Grow Up, Subversive Thoughts for Infantile Age.
0:56.3	Today on the show, Susan I discuss why becoming a grown up has gotten a bad rap.
1:00.0	How her culture, including smartphones, infantilizes us, and what the Enlightenment thinkers
1:04.5	John Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant can teach you about how to become a grown up.
1:09.0	Susan then goes on to share ideas of what you can do to feel more like an autonomous
1:12.3	adult and why embracing that role is such a subversive thing to do.
1:16.5	Really interesting podcast after the show is over, check out the show notes at aowm.is-ygrowup
1:22.3	where you find links to resources, where you delve deeper into this topic.
1:33.6	Susan Nieman, welcome to the show.
	...

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