Goodpain Unplugged is a raw, unedited conversation that pulls the curtain back on the conversations we have in preparation for our seasons. Tiffany is the victim this time, as Tyler corners her to talk about what it means to "Geek Out" and why it points at the heart of Goodpain Season 3.

About This Episode 

Welcome to a candid conversation about what it truly means to be "geeking out". In this episode of Goodpain Unplugged, we dive deep into the magnetic power of passion and why it connects us on such a profound level. Have you ever noticed how someone lighting up about their favorite obscure topic is instantly captivating? This episode is a pure life talk about that exact spark.

We explore how unabashedly loving something—without worrying about turning it into a side hustle or justifying it to the world—fuels our personal growth and supports our mental health. From using art and metaphor when words fail us, to the fun of creative expression through childhood imagination and improv, this episode will inspire you to embrace the things that make you come alive.

Timestamps (Note: Times are approximate placeholders for your audio editor)

 * [00:00] Introduction: What does it really mean to geek out?
 * [02:15] The Connection Meter: What The Sims teaches us about the risks of relationship building.
 * [05:30] The Halo Effect: Lessons from La La Land on loving a passion just because you love the person.
 * [09:00] When Words Fail: Why we reach for art, sound, and metaphors to express our inner worlds.
 * [14:20] Pure Joy: The beauty of loving something just for the joy of it, not for money.
 * [19:45] Blowing Up Boundaries: How The Office and Leroy Jenkins show us the creative tension of rules and chaos.
 * [24:30] Cultivating Worlds: From Dungeons & Dragons to gardening and science.

Notable Quotes

 * "What do we do when the medium itself of talking to one another is insufficient to actually convey what is happening inside of me?"
 * "There's a part of this person they've refused to put at the service of what works... they're going to get paid doing it. And that tells us so much more about each other."

Resources Mentioned

 * The Sims (Video Game)
 * La La Land (Movie)
 * The Shining (Movie reference to room 237)
 * The Office (TV Show - Michael Scott's Improv)
 * Leroy Jenkins [https://youtu.be/Pz6vl0ZjOL8?si=FDFPxZDDo3eu5aWP](Viral Video)
 * Project Hail Mary (Book)

Listen, Rate & Subscribe! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast app! Share this episode with a friend you love geeking out with, and follow us on social media for more exclusive content.

Goodpain Unplugged: Candid Conversation. Underdog Wisdom. –  Unedited Conversation about Geeking Out

Every human life is a work in progress – literally. We are all making something: our days, our relationships, our stories, our selves. Season 3 of Goodpain asks what happens when we stop treating our lives as things that happen to us and start treating them as things we are actively making. Through conversations with makers of every kind – celebrated and unknown, professional and purely passionate – we explore what it means to live Artfully. It is a season about what Art, Creative Expression, and Making reveal about being human: what it costs to develop the fluency to say the thing inside, what it means to risk putting it on the table, and what it asks of us to receive someone else’s offering not as consumers but as witnesses.

Season 3 does not treat Art as a category requiring membership. Its subject is the compulsion to express – the interior pressure that builds until something has to come out, and the fact that what comes out is not a translation of experience but a continuation of it. Language is one medium. Art, craft, and making are what happen when language hits its ceiling.

Goodpain: Candid Conversation. Underdog Wisdom: Season 03 Trailer – The Artful Life: A Season About Making

In this episode, we take a final sprint around the track that is Season 2. Jeremy and Tyler share their brief reflections on the topic of Mature & Immature Masculinity, how it served the candid conversation for the last four months, and how it surprised them in their own personal growth. With two seasons – two dots of data – Goodpain now has a trend line, and the co-hosts consider how Goodpain is developing a clearer perspective on its role, with each season represented a "genre" of the human condition, a perspective on dancing with life challenges. 

The episode concludes with a trailer for Season 3, which will be released in late-July/early-August and is titled The Artful Life: A season About  Making

Goodpain: Candid Conversation. Underdog Wisdom. –  End of Season Wrap & Preview of Season 03 (S02E21)

This just ain't working for us...and it does not have to be this way.

Today, our guest, Relando Thompkins-Jones of Social Justice Origin Stories [https://socialjusticeoriginstories.com/] and I explore how power shapes our world. We often say "just" to avoid seeing deeper truths. But maturity requires looking at the actual impact we have. We discuss who gets to set the terms of engagement. This episode explores historical design decisions and systemic harm.

These topics are pointed and may spark internal resistance. Invite your objections to come along for the ride. Do not let them close your ears to the message. You are strong enough to lead with your humanity. We must name what is broken to find collective hope. Let’s engage these difficult questions together. 

Relando Thompkins-Jones is a macro social worker, social justice  educator, strategist, and storyteller who uses media and education to  advance equity and social justice within people, organizations, and  communities. For more than a decade, he has worked across higher  education, nonprofit, public, and private sectors, planning and  implementing experiential activities and projects that advance  diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice.

He is also the  Founder & Director of Narrative Strategy and Learning Ecosystem at  Social Justice Origin Stories, a multimedia storytelling project that  explores the personal experiences, defining moments, and influences that  inspire people and organizations to pursue social justice. Through  conversations with activists, educators, organizers, scholars, and  everyday changemakers, the project seeks to reduce isolation among  justice-seekers, preserve community wisdom, and help listeners discover  their own place in the work.

The phrase "If we can change how we  think, we can change what we do" is central to Relando's approach, and  he finds fulfillment in engaging with others using the liberatory power  of storytelling, education, and authentic human connection to co-create  the conditions for collective thriving.

Website: Social Justice Origin Stories [https://socialjusticeoriginstories.com/]| YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@SocialJusticeOriginStories] | Audio Podlink [https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWRpYS56ZW5jYXN0LmZtL3NvY2lhbC1qdXN0aWNlLW9yaWdpbi1zdG9yaWVzL3Jzcw]

Media Mentions

Becoming the People Podcast Episode: Grief is the Medicine [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revisit-grief-is-the-medicine-with-malkia-devich-cyril/id1519965068?i=1000768714604]

Danger of the Single Story TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare]

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564989/the-sum-of-us-by-heather-mcghee/]



Goodpain: Candid Conversation. Underdog Wisdom –  Podcast Season 02 Episode 20: This Just Ain't Working for Us, Relando Thompkins-Jones, Social Justice Origin Stories (S02E20)

Episode Summary

In this episode, Jeremy and Tyler explore the profound responsibility of becoming a good ancestor in a world that often prioritizes immediate gratification over long-term resonance. The hosts discuss how personal maturation is found in overcoming fear and the baser instincts that keep us trapped in predictable, reactive habits. By letting go of control and the impulse to stabilize or "ix every chaotic moment, we open ourselves up to a deeper curiosity and the ability to witness life's inherent beauty.

The conversation encourages a shift toward intentional living, moving from unconscious behaviors to conscious choices that align with the highest version of ourselves. Central to this discussion is a critique of modern society’s obsession with convenience, which the hosts argue can lead us to trade our humanity for predictability and comfort. Ultimately, they invite listeners to embrace the goodpain of self-governance and accountability to build a legacy that transcends the narrow limitations of the present.

Key Themes and Discussion Points:

 * Legacy and Meaning: The hosts redefine legacy not as a monumental external lift, but as an expression of a higher version of oneself. They discuss the importance of contributing to a "reclamation" of the wisdom class, where being a "wisdom holder" becomes a primary life purpose for those moving into the second half of life.
 * The Journey of Personal Growth: The conversation highlights the transition from immature to mature expression, which involves a migration from unconscious, reactive behaviors into intentional, conscious choosing. This personal growth requires transcending old habits and baser instincts to align with who we truly want to become.
 * Developing Emotional Maturity and Self-Awareness: Emotional maturity is characterized by the expansion of internal roles—moving beyond being just a "problem solver" or "fixer" to becoming a "witness" to life as it unfolds. This requires deep self-awareness, questioning why we react to slights or chaos in predictable ways after decades of life.
 * Navigating Fear and Control: Tyler shares a vulnerable account of a health scare that forced him to confront the fear and control that often drive our reactions. He describes the liberating mindset shift that occurs when one chooses curiosity over the need to "right the chaos" or predetermine how a situation should be solved.
 * The Power of Conscious Living: Conscious living is presented as the practice of "catching one's breath" and taking a step back to get curious about the root of our actions. It involves setting aside the "idolatry of comfort" and convenience to embrace the necessary, and often "good," pain of self-governance and accountability.
 * Fostering Human Connection through the "Bridges of Meghalaya": Using the metaphor of living root bridges that take generations to grow, the hosts discuss the necessity of human connection and intergenerational stewardship. They argue that true progress comes from "bumping into the messiness of other people" rather than retreating into algorithmic bubbles of certainty.

Goodpain: Candid Conversation. Underdog Wisdom – The Architecture of Legacy and the Wisdom of Maturity (S02E19)

We have a couple more interviews coming for Season 2, but this week we take another break to bring a voice of wisdom to our audience. This week it is the man that always welcomed us into his Neighborhood, never failing to invite us to be his neighbor simply because us to know we were worth knowing. 



In this recording from 2001, we hear Fred Rogers' commencement address to the graduating class of Marquette University. 

Goodpain Podcast Season 02 Episode 18: Fred Rogers' Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

IN THIS EPISODE

 * What the Disconnected survey (2024) established about the college degree as the dividing line in American civic life
 * Why the male loneliness narrative misreads the real crisis – and what "left alone by society" means instead
 * The friendship cliff: why connections collapse after high school for men without degrees
 * Tenuous ties and single points of failure in men's relational lives
 * The accompaniment framework: loss and transition as communal experiences, not individual problems
 * Why the self-help ethos is the wrong prescription for structural disconnection
 * What it means to "call men in" – and who is responsible for doing it

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Sam Pressler spent seven years building the Armed Services Arts Partnership, helping veterans find their footing in civilian life after service. He turned toward research and writing at the intersection of civic life, social connection, and class – and in 2024 co-produced Disconnected with the Survey Center on American Life, which established the college degree as the dividing line in American civic participation. He edits and writes the Connective Tissue newsletter on Substack, where these ideas have been taking shape for years. Sam approaches this work not as a detached researcher but as someone who has stood in the gap – and who understands that the data, when it gets flattened into a headline, stops being about people.

Soren Duggan spent nine years in human intelligence collection roles for U.S. Special Operations. He now researches and builds strategies for large-scale digital communication. He was the sole interviewer for all thirty conversations in Nobody to Call – which means he sat with these men, none of whom had any reason to trust a stranger on Zoom, and asked them about the hardest parts of their lives. The emotional weight of this report comes directly from his ability to hold that space without flinching.

FROM THE REPORT

"I feel lonely. I feel like I don't have connections, and on a broader scope, that I don't really matter." – Jordan, 43

"If I was a part of something, I wouldn't be looking for friends. I could find friends inside of the organization that I belong to… That's the bottom line. I just want to be a part of a team. I feel like that's therapeutic." – Cedric, 31

"The younger generation coming up – they're lost too. I want to try to give them an answer, but not in a toxic way." – Deion, 29

RESOURCES

 * Read the full Nobody to Call report: nobodytocall.org [http://nobodytocall.org/]
 * Connective Tissue newsletter: connectivetissue.substack.com [https://connectivetissue.substack.com/]
 * Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life (Survey Center on American Life, 2024)

Goodpain Podcast Season 02 Episode 017: Sam Pressler & Soren Duggan of Nobody to Call – Men Without College Degrees & the Yearning to Connect

This week we sit down for a discussion with Robyn D. Walser, PhD. 

Robyn  is a clinical psychologist, author, and internationally recognized trainer in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), often described as a clinician’s clinician for her deep emphasis on therapeutic presence and connection. 

She is the author and coauthor of several influential ACT books, including The Heart of ACT, where she invites therapists to move beyond technique into a more heartfelt, process-based, and relational way of working — treating therapy as a shared human experience rather than a set of tools. Her work highlights how psychological flexibility is cultivated not just through cognitive shifts, but through courage, compassion, and an open-hearted stance with clients.

In recent years, Robyn has been reflecting on questions of feminism, masculinity, and the impacts of cultural narratives on our sense of self, intimacy, and vulnerability, especially in the context of trauma and moral injury. She invites a more nuanced, inclusive conversation about gender—one that honors pain without vilifying whole groups, and that makes space for men and women alike to live with greater authenticity, responsibility, and heart.

https://robynwalser.com/

Goodpain Podcast Season 02, Episode 016: Robyn D. Walser, PhD – Making Space for Masculine Vulnerability

In this episode, Jeremy and Tyler explore the past as a means for informing how we can more consistently remember to make active choices. But choosing takes practice: it is easy to forget, including the ways we convinced ourselves we are certain of what will make us happy. While the word is not used, "regret" is one that could also be applied here; however, rather than use it as something to avoid, the co-hosts explore how the fact that we will at times regret, acceptance of that fact can invite us into more active remembering of who we want to be and who we are becoming. 

All of this is discussed, and more, as we continue to excavate the topic of mature masculinity.

Goodpain Podcast Season 02, Episode 015: Male Maturation over Time – Remembering to Choose Intentionally

We will return next week with more long form conversations, however, this week we continue borrowing from another voice to explore the notion of sacred inconvenience, or staying present and aware to living right now. This week we borrow the 2005 commencement address delivered to Kenyon College. The author and speaker is the late author David Foster Wallace, and the address is titled, "This is Water."

To watch a creative version of the speech, please visit the following link: This is Water, by David Foster Wallace [https://youtu.be/eC7xzavzEKY?si=gohh_2brwMuMDA06]

Goodpain Season 02 Episode 014: Sacred Inconvenience Pt. II, David Foster Wallace

Goodpain Podcast is an invitation to reclaim the space for honest, candid conversations about our struggles, about not knowing, about the wisdom found simply in enduring.. Like the ancient tribes, gathering around a fire to share hard-won wisdom, we'll talk about life's true intensities: the raw realities of parenting, the relentless demands of careers, the shattering impact of tragedy, the quiet burden of pain, and the unexpected moments of joy that flicker in between. Because whether your struggle was a sudden storm or a slow erosion, your story is meaningful. 

Tyler Martin

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