Generous people live with a sense of unlimited possibility while stingy people hoard out of fear, including fear of death. Armand DiMele argues that giving can be an act of aggression and withholding an act of love, and that wealth has almost nothing to do with which type you are.
Addiction is not weakness but a misfired survival mechanism rooted in perceived isolation. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace compulsive behaviors, from substance abuse to sex and food addiction, back to what they call the refugee syndrome, drawing on interviews with Dr. Deborah Hillman, MD, Dr. Andrew Tatarsky, Addiction Psychologist, Dr. Harold Urschel, Author, and science journalist and author Emily Anthes.
Emptiness is not a problem to solve but a journey to undertake. Dr. Robert Gunn, author of “Journeys into Emptiness,” joins Armand DiMele to trace three stages of emptiness, from painful longing through letting go to a Buddhist sense of wholeness, drawing on the lives of Dogen, Thomas Merton, and Carl Jung.
Men fear intimacy more than they lack interest in it, and that fear drives most of their confusing behavior. Armand DiMele argues that testosterone, social conditioning, and the terror of vulnerability combine to keep men walled off from real connection, tracing the pattern from adolescent sexuality through the lone-cowboy model of manhood.
Don Riso and Russ Hudson join Armand DiMele to break down the three assertive Enneagram types: the blunt, life-force-driven Challenger, the endlessly striving Achiever, and the expansive Enthusiast. The conversation explores why assertive energy triggers defensive reactions, how it roots in fear and emptiness, and how it can be channeled into genuine leadership.
Don Riso and Russ Hudson, authors of “The Wisdom of the Enneagram,” join Armand DiMele to map the three “dutiful” Enneagram types: the perfectionistic One, the people-pleasing Two, and the anxiety-driven Six. The conversation traces how duty hardens into resentment, hidden depression, and self-imposed slavery to an inner judge.
Most people live on autopilot, repeating their parents’ patterns without questioning them. Armand DiMele argues that self-examination accelerates wisdom, and walks listeners through two practical exercises: a daily mood-rating chart and a “love game” that reveals what you and your partner need most.
Why do some people retreat into an inner world and resist engagement with others? Enneagram teachers Don Riso and Russ Hudson break down three withdrawn personality types (the Investigator, the Individualist, and the Peacemaker), tracing their roots in childhood overwhelm and exploring how to reach the people who hide behind them.
Most people fear looking inward, but Armand DiMele argues that introspection is a joyful act, not a search for flaws. He walks through how the brain works, why the unconscious drives so much behavior, and why dropping self-criticism and blame is the prerequisite for genuine self-knowledge.
A New Year’s Day best-of special weaving two past episodes: author L.A. Justice discusses her book on what women really want, focusing on financial independence, debt, and clearing toxic influences, followed by Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti exploring authenticity and what it means to live as your real self.
