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Porn Free Millennial PodcastMy goal is to share my relationship with porn and why I decided to remove it from my life. If you've ever had the thought or have taken action before to quit porn, subscribe to receive tips and encouragement to help you on your journey! Author: Porn Free Millennial
If you ever thought about quitting porn or that it isn't healthy for you, you've come to the right place. I share my experiences with porn and my current recovery. My hope is that this can provide motivation and encouragement for you as we walk this path together! Additional Resources: Substack Publication: https://pornfreemillennial.substack.com/ Medium Publication: https://medium.com/porn-free-miillennial For a free 1:1 coaching consultation, email: PornFreeMillennial@gmail.com Music Opening Intro Episodes 1-2: Same Ol' by Philip E Morris Closing Outro Episodes 1-2: Mes(s)merized by Philip E Morris Opening Intro Episodes 7-9: Sunsetter by Shane Ivers Closing Outro Episodes 7-9: Sunsetter by Shane Ivers Opening Intro Episode 10-present: All Hyped Up by RAKKA Closing Outro Episodes 10-present: All Hyped Up by RAKKA pornfreemillennial.substack.com Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Sexuality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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58. The Art of Beholding Beauty in a Culture That Consumes It
Saturday, 7 February, 2026
The Art of Beholding Beauty in a Culture That Consumes ItGuest: Will Anselm Author of The Pallinode Medieval Art Historian | Oxford Graduate | Researcher of Late Medieval Italian ArtEpisode OverviewWe live in a culture flooded with beauty and yet increasingly unable to admire it.Pornography, social media, and endless visual stimulation have trained us to consume what earlier civilizations learned to behold. In this conversation, I sit down with medieval art historian Will Anselm to explore how art history, theology, and culture once treated beauty as something sacred—and what happens when that reverence is lost.This episode is about how desire is trained, how perception is formed, and why saturation leads not to satisfaction—but numbness and a dark hole where beauty was supposed to live.Central Tension of the EpisodeBeauty elevates when it is revered.Beauty corrodes when it is consumed.This conversation explores how cultures flourish or decay based on how they treat beauty—and why modern society struggles to see clearly anymore.Major Topics & Themes DiscussedBeholding vs. Consuming* The difference between encountering beauty and using it* Why admiration requires distance, restraint, and humility* How consumption exhausts beauty instead of deepening it* Why modern culture confuses access with appreciationWhat Art History Reveals About Civilization* Art as a reflection of a culture’s moral and spiritual health* Why older societies encoded values through form, proportion, and restraint* Art as formation, not entertainment* Why timeless art continues to speak while modern imagery quickly fadesThe Human Body and Meaning in Ancient Art* Why male nudity was common in ancient Greek sculpture* The pursuit of proportion, harmony, and technical mastery* Why women were depicted differently—and what that distinction protected* The human body as something meaningful, not exploitableGuarded Beauty and Cultural Stability* Why earlier cultures restricted exposure to the female body* Modesty as protection rather than repression* The relationship between limits, reverence, and meaning* How boundaries preserved dignity for both men and womenWhen Art Signals Cultural Decline* The shift from classical balance to Hellenistic excess* Emotional saturation and distortion of the human form* Softening, decadence, and confusion reflected in art* How art often reveals decline before culture admits itTechnology, Pornography, and Mass Access* The printing press as the first mass pornography revolution* Why technological advancement outpaces moral formation* Tolkien’s warning about “the machine” and power without virtue* How modern technology accelerates desire without wisdomIs Beauty Subjective—or Has Discernment Been Damaged?* Why “beauty is subjective” is an incomplete answer* The idea of formed vs. malformed perception* How taste and desire are trained over time* Why some things stimulate us but do not elevate usPornography and the Warping of the Gaze* Porn as consumption masquerading as beauty* How porn trains the eye toward use, not reverence* Saturation, escalation, and emotional numbness* Why porn reshapes perception before it reshapes behaviorNature, Art, and the Recovery of Awe* Why nature still restores reverence more easily than screens* Art as imitation (mimesis), not mere self-expression* Silence, slowness, and presence as antidotes to saturation* Learning how to behold againKey Takeaways* Beauty loses power when it becomes ubiquitous* Reverence requires limits, not indulgence* Porn doesn’t just change habits—it retrains perception* Culture declines when beauty becomes consumable* Recovery involves learning how to see againWho This Episode Is For* Men wrestling with porn and visual temptation* Listeners interested in art history, theology, and culture* Anyone feeling numb in a hyper-stimulated world* Christians seeking a deeper framework for beauty and desire* Those longing to recover awe, meaning, and reverenceClosing ReflectionBeauty was never meant to be consumed.It was meant to be encountered—with restraint, humility, and wonder.Where to Find WillWill’s Substack: Will’s X(Twitter) Account: https://x.com/willanselmeWill’s CatholicX Spaces Community (Twitter/X): https://x.com/i/communities/1786052823790051599If this conversation resonated with you, take a moment to engage.Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future conversations on resilience, recovery, and reclaiming momentum. If you’re listening on Substack, leave a comment and share what stood out or where you feel stuck right now—your voice matters here.If you know someone who’s quietly in a rut, consider sharing this episode with them. Sometimes the most meaningful help is simply letting someone know they’re not alone and that forward motion is possible.Your support through listening, commenting, subscribing, and sharing helps this work reach the people who need it most.Keep fighting the good fight and much love,MacAdditional ResourcesFor more Porn Free Millennial Subscribe to:* Apple Podcast* Spotify Podcast* Youtube ChannelAccountability Software PFM DiscountIf you have been stuck and are tired of that horrible feeling, it’s time to test out accountability software on your devices. Software can provide that needed defense and friction to build up your confidence and discipline. I call it “rocket” fuel” for accountability!* Personally, I use Ever Accountable. Try this link for a limited 30 day free trial and 20% off after that 30 day trial expires.* To learn more about Ever Accountable, check out my interview with its CEO, Tyler Patterson.Personal Coaching: A Path to FreedomPersonal Coaching: A Path to FreedomIf you’re tired of repeating the same cycle and ready to build something solid, I offer 1:1 coaching focused on accountability, clarity, and sustainable freedom.Message me “Break Free” for a free 30-minute consult.For YouTube, Apple, Spotify - Email “Break Free” and what you are seeking help with to pornfreemillennialcoaching@gmail.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pornfreemillennial.substack.com/subscribe
