Why do we turn people and needs into abstract objects? Armand DiMele argues that objectification is a defense against vulnerability, whether it shows up as racial dehumanization, sexual fetish, or the jealous conviction that no one can be trusted. Callers trace these patterns back to childhood wounds.
Love cannot exist without pain, and accepting both is the only way to play the bigger game. Armand DiMele reflects on preparing a wedding ceremony speech and argues that conflict, loss, and disillusionment are not failures of love but built into its nature, using caller stories to illustrate the point.
Armand DiMele, with co-hosts Ben Starr and Giullian Gioiello, lays out a three-part framework for how the mind works: pathological thinking (emotion-driven and invisible to itself), logical thinking (pure comparison, no feeling), and psychological thinking (intellect in harmony with emotion). Callers bring the theory to life, revealing how denied feelings quietly hijack everyday thought.
Irritability is a lie, Armand argues: it always points back to unexpressed anger from the recent past, not the present annoyance. Callers processing Hurricane Irene illustrate how collective fear gets manufactured and internalized, and how presence and love are the only real antidotes.
What does it actually mean to live with a narcissist, and why do so many people keep choosing them? Armand DiMele and Wendy Behary, LCSW, Author of “Disarming the Narcissist,” map the traits, from entitlement and demeaning sarcasm to emotional detachment, and explore why partners often play a willing role in the dynamic.
Most people would rather struggle alone than ask for help, and Armand DiMele digs into why. Drawing on Jung’s archetype of the beggar, he traces the fear of asking to three roots: surrender of control, shame of appearing flawed, and the deep belief that no one is truly there for you. Callers bring the ideas to life.
Armand DiMele maps out what to do when someone you care about lashes out unfairly. Rather than fighting back, he argues for showing genuine hurt, explaining why tears disarm anger more effectively than counter-attack, and why most rage burns itself out in about 22 minutes if you stop feeding it.
