Becoming Human

Tyler Kleeberger

Get smarter. Live better. Becoming Human is about education and lifestyle; exploring the world — whether philosophy, psychology, sociology, or any field available — to better live in it. The goal is ethics through learning. We cover a range of topics to experience the process of becoming more human and building a better world. read less
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What is Becoming Human?
Dec 31 2020
What is Becoming Human?
What is Becoming Human?It’s an infinite conversation, really. What does it mean to be alive? How should we live? What is the best, healthiest way to exist and do all of the things that make up life? But then, how ought we engage in relationships and communication? How should we belong in society and culture? How ought we live in the world?There’s a lot to explore.And even more questions to ask. But that’s what we are here to do. I’m Tyler Kleeberger and consider me a curator of these conversations. I am, conveniently, a nerd so I see it as my job to go and discover everything I can about a topic or idea and use any field imaginable — from philosophy to psychology, economics to history, and everything in between — and then share it with you. All so that we can become the best versions of ourselves and build the best world possible. It’s all about learning the content of the world and then asking, “What do we do with this? What ought this look like?” It’s theory and practice; ideas and ethics. I hope you’ll consider going on this journey with me. We’re trying to get smarter and live better. You can listen on any streaming service or find more information at tylerkleeberger.com. Let’s learn, let’s grow, and let’s become more human. Music by Jon Torrence & The Native Heart.Find more from Jon here.

Episodes

57. Don't Leave Yourself Behind in the New Year - [Rachaf, Synchronization, and the Moments Between Moments]
Dec 30 2022
57. Don't Leave Yourself Behind in the New Year - [Rachaf, Synchronization, and the Moments Between Moments]
The Surprising Advantage of New Year's Day: A Synchronizing RitualOver the course of a year, a lot of change happens. From work and relationships to internal growth and mourning loss, the world is constantly changing.How do we deal with change healthily? How do we vulnerably confront the changes of life, its loss, and its possibilities?Synchronization is a process of being in tune with change so that we intentionally adapt to the emerging world around us. Having a ritual on New Year's Day gives a collective means to mark the events of our lives and ritually sync with where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. We also explore the word "rachaf" which is about having moments of profound intimacy where we are interacting with the full presence of life and its changes in a transformative movement that makes us in tune with what will never be the same again.https://ko-fi.com/becominghuman
56. A Different Christmas Story
Dec 18 2022
56. A Different Christmas Story
Re-telling the Story of Christmas:What is a different way to think about Christmas? This episodes is taken from a project at The Farmhouse in rural NW Ohio that goes through:A meditation on how the context of the nativity connects with our world today.A synopsis of Christmas with different angles and emphases.The Story of the KingThe Story of the ShepherdBoth of these are unique tellings of the point of incarnation and the nativity emphasizing how this concept called Christmas can impact how we live as human beings. For a video version of this content:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNVuwjjddsk
55. Should I Tell My Children About St. Nicholas?
Dec 10 2022
55. Should I Tell My Children About St. Nicholas?
Putting St. Nicholas Back in Christmas: How did the modern version of the Christmas season come to be? From Santa Claus and the reindeer at Macy's Thanksgiving Parade to the classic songs, these traditions are not only new, they were created by department stores and other industries. This doesn't make it bad, but we should be honest about it.There are also other versions that might be better. What are other versions of a generous gift giver? Is Saint Nicholas a viable candidate? Ultimately, this episode tries to make a case for having an honest understanding of Christmas traditions and an encouragement to know the history of Saint Nicholas and how his story might be useful in our contemporary culture.
54. Should I Tell My Children About Santa Claus?
Dec 3 2022
54. Should I Tell My Children About Santa Claus?
Christmas History, Saint Nicholas, and Putting Santa in His Proper PlaceWhat is the Santa Claus thing? How did it come about? How has it changed? And, of course, should we tell our children about this?This episode explores the progression that led to the cultural phenomenon of Santa Claus and asks how we should handle this season with our children based on its history. It's not what you think. This is a deep dive. Ultimately, we see that the Santa Claus concept is quite new within the history of winter festivals and has a lot more depth than we usually discuss.
53. The Danger of Progress & Reactive Romanticism
Nov 27 2022
53. The Danger of Progress & Reactive Romanticism
Two Views of Time, the Problem of Fads, & Constructive ChangeThe final episode in the series exploring the ideas of roots, growth, tradition, progress, conservativism, & liberalism. Extrinsic motivation and ulterior motives are not constructive means of change. The danger of progress occurs when it is purely based on the elusive hope of the future that the unknown possibility will be better than the known; especially if it is explicitly trying to avoid what is known even though the unknown has no data. This leads to a sociological view of time called a diminishing view of time. Instead, we should consider a progressive view of time that uses the patience of the long game and memory that reflects the reality of human perception to use the past to build the future.
52. The Danger of Romanticizing the Past
Nov 20 2022
52. The Danger of Romanticizing the Past
Gardeners, Docents, and the Present-Progressive Tense of Living TraditionDocents see things as in need of protection and enshrinement. Gardeners see things as in need of guidance and growth. Which is a metaphor for how not to use tradition and a case for how to nurture progress. Romanticizing the past leads to stalling the present. However, we can still use the past to help grow the world that is yet to be.
51. Sociological Mapmaking & Historical Entanglement
Nov 13 2022
51. Sociological Mapmaking & Historical Entanglement
Rethinking tradition through the constraints of time and perspective.Human beings have temporal constraints. We die. Within our finitude, mortality, aging, and the vast population of history, we should have a proper sense of proportion.Human beings also have mental constraints. We only have our perspective. We only know the world through what it is like to us (qualia). As a part of society and history, we have to decide how we will use the vastness of the world within our limitations. Taking a cue from "The Fiddler on the Roof," we should see that tradition is alive and the past can help us transcend these limitations.Use tradition by replicating the process we've inherited not just replicating the content of the past.
50. Can Anything Be New?
Oct 23 2022
50. Can Anything Be New?
Atonality, Theseus' Boat, & a Proper Sense of Historic ProportionHow much does something need to change before it is deemed new? This episode explores the philosophical nature of change and newness.Short version, new is not random because everything is a continuation of what came before it - from the atomic structure of humans, the nature of compost, and Arnold Schoenberg's compositions of atonality. This means we should have a proper sense of proportion to the totality of history and recognize our human agency is how the universe will continue.
49. The Existential Dance of Tradition and Progress - [Roots, Growth, and Six Ways to be a Conservative Liberal]
Oct 9 2022
49. The Existential Dance of Tradition and Progress - [Roots, Growth, and Six Ways to be a Conservative Liberal]
How to be both a conservative and a liberalTradition and progress are a dance: we need to balance both roots and growth together.First, we need to confront the two main problems that separate these perspectives dealing with sociological superiority. You can project the complexity of incoherency on another because you stake your identity in your perspective or you can have a proper sense of proportion.Second, we explore the practical considerations of this topic as a whole. This deals with recognizing the value of each and participating in the common journey to continue the human narrative. Use the past and participate in the active unfolding of the future.
48. The Problem of Conservative and Liberal - [Time, Change, & Holding Tradition and Progress Together]
Sep 25 2022
48. The Problem of Conservative and Liberal - [Time, Change, & Holding Tradition and Progress Together]
What should be our relationship to tradition and progress?Is the debate on conservatives and liberals haphazardly assumed in our culture? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what has become a cultural and political institution through the lens of time and change.The past is the only known data but is constantly over. The future holds possibility, but it is unknown. Meanwhile, the world is constantly changing.Tradition and progress is a question of the past versus the future in the midst of an avoidably changing world. The conservative perspective uses the past to implicate the present, prioritizes known data, and is honest about human limitations, but is not honest about the changing nature of existence. It elevates tradition because the past is useful.The liberal perspective emphasizes the future because it prioritizes possibility. It is honest about change and is able to adapt to a constantly changing context, but it is working with unknown data.Can we use what is known while still adapting to context?Can we harness both data and imagination?The balance of tradition and progress is about having a proper relationship with both time and change. We need to hold both perspectives together.
47. The Creative Process, Honest Songs, & Good Art - [Jon Torrence]
Aug 28 2022
47. The Creative Process, Honest Songs, & Good Art - [Jon Torrence]
The Life of a MusicianBeing a singer-songwriter and creating music, poetry, videos, and stories is a complicated role. Jon Torrence is a creator — but not just of art. He is a creator of meaningful experiences and seeks to put life into words and sounds. This episode is a listening room for Jon Torrence of The Native Heart with live performances of four original songs and a host of conversations exploring the background of each song and ideas on creativity, the importance of music history, using stories to create art, and the balance of creating for popularity and creating for meaning. Featured songs by Jon Torrence and The Native Heart:Pass the TimeThe FallowsFingerprintsDavid’s Song
46. Practical Ecological Questions - [And Accepting the Art of Compromise]
Aug 14 2022
46. Practical Ecological Questions - [And Accepting the Art of Compromise]
Questions to ask for ecological ethicsAchieving the ideal of ecological ethics is not realistic. The first suggestion is to accept the impossibility. Living ecologically is not a test to pass but a journey to improve. Our goal should not be to fix something but to live in the best way possible.Once we've accepted that our life and society are rife with compromises, we can begin asking questions to inform the daily decisions for how we will do everything.
45. There is No Conflict Between a Good Meal and a Better World - [Food, Cooking, & the Modern Problem of Eating]
Jul 24 2022
45. There is No Conflict Between a Good Meal and a Better World - [Food, Cooking, & the Modern Problem of Eating]
Food & EcologyFood is the most practical dimension of ecological ethics. So, how should we eat? What are the effects of our food decisions? Should we take this more seriously? And, what should our relationship to food look like?This episode explores three general guidelines that might help capture the philosophy of ecological entanglement when it comes to food.
44. Place Economy - [A Different Way to Change the World]
Jul 10 2022
44. Place Economy - [A Different Way to Change the World]
Practical Steps for Ecological ActionWhy don’t movements work? History tends to repeat itself and we’re still wrestling with the same issues that have been plaguing society for millennia. Ecological ethics, then, can’t be a movement. But what other options are there?This episode takes the philosophy of ecological ethics and offers a practice called Place Economy; which is really about community and belonging within the finite limitations of human beings. In order to make good ecological sense for the planet, we must make good ecological sense where we are.
43. Why I Care About Ecology - [Four Unfrequented Takes on Ecological Ethics]
Jun 26 2022
43. Why I Care About Ecology - [Four Unfrequented Takes on Ecological Ethics]
Is there a philosophical and practical premise for ecological ethics?Despite technological advancement, there is still a mystery to being alive and a mystery to the natural world we are a part of. Why should that matter and how should we live with the natural world?This episode explores four premises:Contingency - the nature of existence and the givenness of life.Inherent Value - the perception of existence and its potential goodness.Inherent Process - the mechanics of existence for how living things are in process.Teleology - the ethic of existence and how our actions can be determined by the goal of existence: Universal Flourishing
42. Why I Don't Care About the Environment - [A Different Approach to Ecological Ethics]
Jun 12 2022
42. Why I Don't Care About the Environment - [A Different Approach to Ecological Ethics]
An exploration of ecological ethics: Are there moral principles and philosophical perspectives relating to the natural world? Should we care about the earth? Should it be confined to political or religious ideologies?This episode explores ecological entanglement, depoliticizing environmentalism, and the central principle for why human beings should prioritize their relationship to the earth; which has nothing to do with the environment.
41. What is Healthy Community?
May 22 2022
41. What is Healthy Community?
What should a healthy community look like?We continue our conversation on community with Dr. Ashley Pryor-Geiger and Amie Brodie. How should community work? What is required for a community to function healthily, especially with relational conflict that is bound to happen?We explore the roadblocks to community and observational practices for how to approach the difficult yet necessary experience of relationships that hold a common life well.
40. What is Community?
May 8 2022
40. What is Community?
A philosophical, sociological, and pragmatic survey of community. How has community been understood and how shouldn't community be understood in conversation with Dr. Ashley Pryor-Geiger of the University of Toledo and Amie Brodie of The Farmhouse. Community is something that we talk about a lot, but do we actually understand it?Community is the common life of a person's experience with other people together that transcends the individual. While there's no single definition, there are some ingredients necessary for community to occur.
39. Losing a Piece of Yourself & Finding Home — [Morgan Hudik]
Apr 24 2022
39. Losing a Piece of Yourself & Finding Home — [Morgan Hudik]
What causes a person to sign up for an Ironman? For Morgan Hudik, it was a major surgery as a result of her family’s genetics. Not having a BRCA gene forced Morgan to make a huge decision that came with major changes, major loss, and deep pain. But Morgan’s story is an example of taking deep pain and turning it into deep love. She’s an extrovert, but she has created a wise, welcoming presence that holds the deepest wounds of the human condition. Her life has become a medium for creating belonging, healing, hope, connection, and beauty in the world around her. She makes the world feel more at home — but first, she had to learn to be at home with herself. How did Morgan come to embody such a presence? What does a real kind of life look like? And how can we — in a dark, difficult, and painful world — learn to do the same?
38. Grieving Death That is Still Alive - [A Lost Home, A Lost Family, and a Tequila Bottle Full of Dirt]
Apr 10 2022
38. Grieving Death That is Still Alive - [A Lost Home, A Lost Family, and a Tequila Bottle Full of Dirt]
Existential DeathGrief is not just for the loss of a person. Anything lost requires the grieving process. This episode explores why that is so necessary with an example of an existential death and how it was grieved. Music composed by Jon Torrence from The Native Heart.Reading from the memoir: "A Lost Home, A Lost Family, and a Tequila Bottle Full of Dirt."