S02E05 – Can WE Fix Politics & Beyond? (A Summary of The Beyond Politics Series)

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

Buckminster Fuller

Today’s episode is the fourth one in The Beyond Politics Video Series on The Unlearning Playground by Chetan Narang & Rocco Jarman. Well, last in the first iteration (we hope!). This is my first standalone video in this series, and what I talk about is a summary of the entire series, key takeaways everyone can have from it and practical advices for everyone listening to actually make an impact in our society & in our shared future together.

When Rocco & I brainstormed the idea of Beyond Politics, we could see that in the current situation of the global political atmosphere, in the USA or in India or in various other societies throughout the world, polarisation is increasingly becoming the norm. The ideological divide among people is deepening and this growing rift is not only impacting political discourse but also hindering our ability to address pressing societal issues effectively – issues for which even if we already have the necessary tools already, our political framings block us from cooperating and actually solving them.

The key insights I share today (and what we discuss in the entire Beyond Politics Series) are applicable not just to the political climate in India or the United States of America, but is fundamental to the way we humans work and coordinate (or at least try to coordinate!)

Beyond Politics, a four-part video series on The Unlearning Playground by Chetan Narang & Rocco Jarman, with conversations around how to bring about some real change in Political Ideologies that Modern Democracy truly needs

00:00Coming-Up Next
00:33A brief summary of Beyond Politics by Chetan Narang & Rocco Jarman
05:06A Personal Story (Polarisation in Our Everyday Life)
09:24Our Fears are the same (Recent Trends in Modern Politics)
11:40IF you want to be a part of the solution
17:09The Cone Example and Politics Today
20:37Key Point 1 – The Two Golden Rules
26:07Key Point 2 – Two Questions to Always Consider
27:50Key Point 3 – The Tim Urban Levels of Thinking Paradigm
29:37Key Point 4 – The Human Consciousness Pyramid
34:46Understanding the Current Human Condition & What lies AHEAD
37:47How to use Agile to Solve Politics
42:44Concluding Thoughts & Invitations

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

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CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE BEYOND POLITICS VIDEO SERIES BELOW

S02E06 – Kolkata Doctor Murder & Rape Case – How Can We Do Better As A Society? (2 Key Points)

There cannot be a peaceful world without peaceful human beings.
All change starts with us.
It starts with YOU.

chetan narang

On Aug 9th, 2024, news about a heinous crime in Kolkata, West Bengal, India started to go viral across all social media platforms and news channels – a 31 year old doctor Moumita Debnath was found brutally raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The devastating news, enough to send chills down the spine of even the coldest person, has since then been doing the rounds all over India, with multiple protests and strikes being organised throughout the country demanding swift justice for the crime and stricter laws when it comes to women safety and protection. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) went on complete strike for 24 hours from August 17-18. With the CBI investigating the scene now and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also involved in the enquiries, let’s hope justice prevails.

This extremely sad incident has raised several key questions in the minds of Indian people.
Is there really a rape culture prevalent in India today?
Is there a general lack of awareness amongst the general population with regards to women safety?
Are we educating our population enough when it comes to topics such as sex education, consent, gender equality, etc.
How can we solve this very real, very sad problem once and for all?

In today’s episode, I throw my hat in the ring for such deep and profound questions. Specifically this one – What, if any, is the real solution to this problem? What I touch upon today is something that I find particularly missing from most debates and discussions happening around this topic at the moment.

In genuine hopes that this reaches and resonates with a wide audience.
Let’s meet in the playground.
Until next time.
Peace out.

With news about the Kolkata Horror story of a 31 year old Doctor Moumita Debnath brutally gang raped and murdered trending throughout India, Chetan Narang from The Unlearning Playground, a Self Improvement YouTube Channel and Podcast, weighs in on this topic from the point of view of actually trying to solve this issue at the root and getting better as a society. We need to remember that this is a sad reality of our modern world, and it is a human reality not just an Indian issue.

00:00Intro To The Kolkata Doctor Murder & Rape Case Incident
01:10What This Episode Is About
02:24Awareness – What Are We Missing In Our Outrage?
04:40The Missing Key (Self Awareness)
10:03When Will We Be Able To Say That This Problem Is Solved?
12:39Politics & Corruption Around The Case
14:05The Actual Solution To Corrupt Politics
19:15Key Action Items & Concluding Thoughts

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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S02E04 – Do We Really Have Free Will?

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for meaning)

The question of whether we have free will is a longstanding and complex debate in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. The internet is full of amazingly detailed and intriguing videos & podcast episodes talking about this concept in much detail. In today’s episode, I wanted to talk about two extremely crucial concepts that I think are often overlooked in most debates and discussions around this subject.

Join me, Chetan Narang, as I dive deep into the concept of free will. I am sure that by the end of this episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, you would be well equipped to understand what is mostly missing in the various perspectives of this question from philosophy, neuroscience, psychology & theology. You will also be able to digest the classic debates between determinism, libertarian free will & compatibilism better.

Whether you have or haven’t listened to big names like Sam Harris, Andrew Huberman, Robert Sapolsky or Jordan Peterson, my hope is that you would find this video to be the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of the ever evasive question – Is Free Will an illusion?

As I uncover what is often missing in most debates and discussions about free will – whether among philosophers, scientists, or laypeople, you would see that we actually need to go beyond the surface arguments to explore the real nuance of this question.

Let’s meet in the playground then.
Until next time.
Peace out.

Is free will an illusion? This question is a longstanding and complex debate in philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. Join Chetan Narang, in this episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, as he talks about two of the most overlooked concepts in discussions & debates around free will that can enable anyone to go beyond the surface arguments to explore the real nuance of this question.

00:00Coming up next
00:20Intro to today’s episode
01:09Intro to the concept of Free Will
02:31My PERSONAL experience with the question
04:12How this question is USUALLY addressed on the Internet
08:48What is MISSING from almost ALL videos on Free Will
20:35Self Awareness – The MISSING variable in the Free Will equation
30:27Summary & Concluding Thoughts

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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S02E03 – How to Process Death, Grief & Moving On?

We understand death only after it has placed its hands on someone we love.

Madame de Staël

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a profound and personal journey. In today’s heartfelt episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast by Chetan Narang, we discuss practical and emotional tips to help you process grief and navigate the complex emotions that follow.

I feel that conversations around the topic of death are few & far compared to the emotional turmoil this event can cause in our lives, and hence this topic appears to me to be one of those non-negotiable ones that I should pick in this new series of podcast episodes. This is also an extremely personal episode for me, because I share some updates to my life that actually pushed me to sit in front of my mic with this subject, no matter how emotionally challenging.

From understanding the stages of grief to finding ways to honor and remember your loved one, this guide is here to support you at your own pace. Whether you’re seeking comfort, guidance, or simply a sense of connection, join me as I explore the path toward healing, acceptance and moving on. Remember, it’s okay to grieve and it’s okay to seek help. Let’s take this step together.

In sincere hopes that this lands.
Until next time.
Peace out.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a profound and personal journey. In this heartfelt episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, Chetan Narang discusses practical and emotional tips to help you process grief and navigate the complex emotions that follow death. From understanding the stages of grief to finding ways to honor and remember your loved one, this guide is here to support you at your own pace. Whether you're seeking comfort, guidance, or simply a sense of connection, join this path toward healing, acceptance and moving on.

00:00Coming up next
00:35How we usually think about Death – A Short Story
02:34Why talk about this at all?
06:39Mahabharata & Death
09:36A personal realisation around the death of a loved one
13:07Death & Shame
17:10Death & Fear
20:33The Grieving Process – How to heal from grief & loss
27:33Life after Death (The Purpose of Death)
35:34Concluding thoughts

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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S02 E02 – How to live a better life by being more childlike?

Man suffers because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.

ALAN WATTS

A thought that every adult encounters ever so often is centred around the idea of how life was better when they were a kid, when they were more childlike. I think there are a lot of life lessons in this train of thought, and that is the epicentre of today’s episode of The Unlearning Playground.

Even The Bible reportedly says something to the tune of “No one enters the kingdom of God until he is childlike.” Please note that the call is to be childlike, not childish. There is a world of difference between the two words, and I explore that too in this episode.

I think that the various tips I give out here are central to living a good life as an adult, central to living your life to the fullest as a grown-up. The playfulness, spontaneity and flexibility of childhood is something that has captured the imagination of so many philosophers already – Alan Watts, Osho, Sadhguru, Jordan Peterson, Sandeep Maheshwari to name a few. So, here I am throwing my hat in the ring too on the same.

I hope this episode lands, and leaves you with a better life.
Until next time.
Peace out.

The Bible says that no one enters the kingdom of God until he is childlike. What does this mean? How can you lead a better life by being more childlike. Join Chetan Narang as he dives deep into this question in episode 2 of season 2 of The Unlearning Playground, a self improvement, spirituality & philosophy podcast and youtube channel.

00:00Intro
02:12Was life better as a kid?
10:14Being more spontaneous and expressive
22:36Being more playful
36:19Being more open and flexible
48:51Recap and concluding thoughts

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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S02 E01 – What is the purpose of Life, and how to find yours?

What you seek, is seeking you.

Rumi

One of the most fundamental questions every person asks at some point in their lives is – “What is the purpose of life?”. Not surprisingly at all, this is also one question that most of us learn to suppress very early on in our lives.

In this episode, the first of season two of the unlearning playground podcast, I dive into this question head on. I think that the modalities discussed here – of being & becoming, of life & Life, of priorities, of sacrifices and of our soul’s calling – are of utmost importance in truly grasping this ever-evasive question.

It is ok to feel lost sometimes, it happens to everyone.
It is ok to feel stuck sometimes, it happens to everyone.
It is ok to not know what to do next sometimes, it happens to everyone.

However, I have come to realise that we should not be ok with not doing anything about such feelings. Most of what needs to be done has more to do with the stance we approach them with.

As you will find it in this episode, this is not a direct invitation to change WHAT you do, in the sense of quitting your job and following your “passion”. Although there is something to be said about that being absolutely necessary at times.

Rather, this is an invitation firstly to change HOW you are going about your life – how you’re looking at your life, how you view your job, your relationships, your career, your purpose, your questions, your conversations and all the rest of Life.

This is an absolutely vital episode in the grand scope of all of my work at the unlearning playground I would say.

What is the purpose of Life? And how can you find your purpose and passion in Life? Join Chetan Narang as he dives deep into this question in the first episode of season 2 of The Unlearning Playground, a self improvement, spirituality & philosophy podcast.

00:00Introduction
02:50Why talk about this at all? The crisis of meaning today’s age
09:52The two modalities – being & becoming
10:51Being – life vs Life 
23:59Becoming
31:28How to find your purpose?
48:38Priorities
56:18Sacrifices & your soul’s calling
01:01:19Concluding thoughts

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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Episode 42 – The end of season 1, and the start of something better

“Enough. These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to life we have refused again and again,
until now.
Until now.”

David Whyte, Where Many Rivers Meet

Endings are hard indeed. But if we keep ourselves stuck in the same old same old, we hold ourselves back to what might be.

And therefore, like a snake must shed its old skin someday to allow a new layer to flourish, I end season 1 of The Unlearning Playground podcast today with this episode.

I talk about 2 major updates about the content you can expect from The Unlearning Playground in the months to come, with the first major announcement being the launch of my new series of content – Ask a human, not an AI.

Check out the “Ask a human, not an AI” homepage here.

Also, I’m still collecting feedbacks for all my content thus far, so share your opinions with me here.

P.S. You can be anonymous with the form too.

That’s about it.

Super psyched about the new season.
Until next time.
Peace out.

The last episode of season 1 of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, where Chetan Narang talks about what's new and coming in the unlearning playground and introduces his new series of content - Ask a human, not an AI

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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Episode 41 – What should all parents & managers realise? (9 min)

In the end, we’re all walking each other home.

RAM DASS

As we grow up, we take up positions of power or at least aspire to do so at some point. That could mean becoming a parent, taking up a managerial position in your workplace, or any other relationship where you can have a substantial impact on the life of another person.

In all such relationships, I think there is something that is usually missing in the advices, suggestions and trainings all of us seek out and therefore, receive.

In this short episode, I discuss that one missing advice, and try to make a case for it.
I think it’s fundamentally applicable to all our relationships, especially the kind I talked about above.

Check it out, and share with your friends & family to help it reach out to more people.
It’ll be worth their time too, I promise.
Until next time.
Peace out.

Any position of power where you can influence another person's life is one of immense responsibility. In this episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, Chetan Narang talks about this topic, discussing what gets missed out usually when parenting tips and managerial advices are sought out and given. He also share 5 must read non fiction book recommendations along the same lines of self improvement.

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Stitcher

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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Episode 40 – Powerful life lessons from the Jason Bourne movies (5 min)

BE HERE NOW.

There are some movies that sometimes, out of the blue, end up teaching you life lessons that stay with you forever. I understand it to be very unlikely that an action thriller movie franchise would make the cut to such a list, but it is what it is I guess.

What is Jason Bourne about? If you had asked me this question some years ago, my answer would have been very different than what I can say about it now.

Having recently revisited these brilliant movies, I can safely say that the perspective with which I watched Jason Bourne this time around really helped me catch the drift of the storyline much better than before. And one powerful life lesson came striking out at me, which is what this short video is all about.

I would really recommend everyone to watch all the movies again, and this time with the perspective I talk about in this episode.

So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Let’s see what Jason Bourne has to teach us.
And was he any good at it.

Until next time.
Peace out.

The Jason Bourne movies are not only some of the best action thriller movies in Hollywood, but also have some powerful life lessons for everyone. In this episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, Chetan Narang talks about the Jason Bourne movies and the life lessons therein.

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Stitcher

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

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Episode 39 – What is equality & where is it going absolutely wrong in 2023 (19 min)

In terms of outcomes, nobody is equal to anybody.
Even the same man is not equal to himself on different days.

THOMAS SOWELL

Equality is a topic that is central to any relationship, family, community and society.

And that makes it an extremely important subject to discuss, especially in today’s world where like anything else it is subject to a host of interpretations and biases and opinions.

In this episode, I delve into this topic in some detail.

I talk about what is equality, how we are measuring it, how we ought to think about it and (I can’t stress enough how important this is) where we are going wrong with it as of 2023.

I think this is one topic that must be properly understood by everyone, especially in 2023. And what’s more, if misunderstood, it can lead to the divisions we find so prevalent in our society even today.

Let’s see if I can do justice to the claims above.
Only one way to find out. Dig right in.
Until next time.
Peace out.

What is equality and where is it going wrong in 2023? This is one topic that everyone should understand properly, should be included in every education system too, especially the concept of equality vs equity. In this episode of The Unlearning Playground Podcast, Chetan Narang talks about this topic in some detail.

00:00Intro
00:51What is equality?
01:26How do you measure equality?
02:10Equality of opportunity
03:49Equality of outcome
04:52The gender pay gap
08:55Thomas Sowell, equity & equality
12:11Equality in absolutely stupid things
14:19Expecting equality where there can be none
16:22Equality in the Indian context
17:47Closing, with a Thomas Sowell quote

Check it out on your platform of choice.

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Apple Podcasts

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Spotify

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Stitcher

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang on Amazon Music

The Unlearning Playground Podcast, a popular philosophy and spirituality podcast by Chetan Narang, on Google Podcasts

Or listen on the custom player below