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Deep TransformationSelf-Society-Spirit Author: Roger Walsh and John Dupuy
Deep Transformation offers dialogues with cutting-edge thinkers, artists, contemplatives, and activists who combine big-picture, integrative perspectives with profound, contemplative depths. With these remarkable people, we explore the great questions of our time, such as how best to live, and how best to heal, learn, create, and contribute in our era of unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Visit our website at https://deeptransformation.io/ to learn more. Language: en Genres: Education, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Can Our Democracy Be Healed? Taking Up the Fight
Episode 220
Thursday, 5 February, 2026
Ep. 220 (Part 2 of 2) | In part 2 of Sliding Towards Authoritarianism, Constitutional Law expert and Ethics professor Mark Fischler unpacks the significance of the extreme lack of civic understanding in the United States and, well informed about students’ cognitive abilities and mental health status nationwide, adds the precipitous drop in achievement scores and through-the-roof diagnoses of ADHD, autism, anxiety, and depression to the mix, concluding, “You begin to see why an authoritarian world requiring only simple actions and answers would be more attractive than a democratic world that requires complexity, conversation, and the ability to see the intrinsic worth of the person across from you… to collectively decide to honor democratic processes and the winner who was voted in.”This is the challenge, Mark says: “Since everybody has a partial piece of the truth, we need to ask ourselves, am I curious enough to understand another’s partial piece of truth in order to enrich myself and help me understand that we are all in this together?” “We need to take up the fight for greater awareness that recognizes the good, the true, the beautiful, and the oneness of what is,” he continues. Despite all that Mark has shared with us regarding the current Administration’s dehumanizing, authoritarian tactics and other significant factors contributing to the deterioration of our democracy, when asked what gives him hope, Mark answers, “A lot of things!” The discussion ends in a hopeful place—grim realities balanced with inspiring trends, including the growing recognition around the world that we are all in this together in what is essentially one global village. Recorded December 4, 2025.“To understand is to forgive.” – Dr. Michael FischlerTopics & Time Stamps – Part 2What the problem of pervasive civic ignorance signifies for our democracy (01:02)Our susceptibility to authoritarian leaders is not surprising considering our ignorance of civil responsibility (04:53)Future shock: people under stress regress psychologically, making it even easier for an authoritarian to take over (06:57)There is more than one reason for our pervasive civic ignorance (09:08)Using A.I. to fact-check what we see and hear (10:37)Education: cognitive understanding in young people has plunged below lowest-level functioning thresholds (16:35)Among students, autism, ADHD, anxiety & depression diagnoses are through the roof (18:03)Because of people’s lack of achievement & lack of civic understanding, it makes sense that people are willing to let democracy go (19:40)Cultivating a quest for truth is part of the solution (22:48)A call to contemplative warriors to take up the fight for greater awareness that recognizes the good, the true, the beautiful—and the oneness of what is (25:35)
