Call In Shows

Dear Stefan,

I have been listening to you content for sometime now, and would like to express immense gratitude to you for your insight and work on self knowledge, parenting, and philosophy. All your call-in shows provides unbelievable value and helped me with both the reason and courage to confronted my childhood. Your skills in weigh through all the fog, rationalisation, justification and narratives to stay on laser focus on the topic were a pleasure to witness. Please kindly use these awesome powers to help me see more clearly on how to move forward.

I have just hit 30 yrs old last [...]

In this episode, host Stefan speaks with a caller struggling with estrangement from his oldest daughter amid a complicated family history. The caller recounts emotional turmoil during her wedding when she requested both him and her stepfather to walk her down the aisle, deepening their rift. He reflects on his decision to avoid speaking negatively about his ex-wife, which he hoped would help their relationship but instead led to misunderstandings.

Stefan highlights how past dynamics influence current relationships and encourages the caller to maintain open communication with his children. By [...]

How to emerge from 10 years of isolation and cross the desert

Topic Detail: Hi Stefan, I'm a 31 year old man who's recently found the show (in October). Philosophy has taken a fire to my heart. I have been ravenously devouring your books and call-in shows and podcasts in the past months.

I am emerging from a very long period of isolation, and I need help navigating this life transition. I am starting from a point of zero quality relationships, and need to cross the desert!

I've confronted my parents about my childhood. This confrontation not only confirmed their nature as abusers to me, but [...]

First call: https://fdrpodcasts.com/5522/my-girlfriend-summons-me-to-sin-freedomain-call-in

In this episode, I converse with a caller who shares his journey of self-discovery following a breakup. He discusses moving back in with family while pursuing an accreditation and the emotional complexities of caring for his brother with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). We explore the impact of his past, including a confrontation with his parents about their parenting, and how these dynamics affect his relationships and future aspirations.

I emphasize the importance of his independence while navigating [...]

In this episode, I speak with a caller navigating feelings of inadequacy and jealousy in her early marriage due to her husband's tumultuous sexual history. We explore the impact of her Catholic upbringing, their rapid relationship progression, and how these factors contribute to emotional turmoil and intimacy issues.

I emphasize the importance of open communication and the potential need for couples counseling, despite her husband's resistance. The discussion highlights taking responsibility for one's feelings and creating healthier communication patterns. Ultimately, I guide her toward [...]

Hi Stef,

I called in ~6 months ago. I was not doing very well, with me losing my first employment and the "business" I was a part of not doing very well. You gave some direction about sticking with my at-the-time mentor to establish a new career, but I can say that when I called you was definitely not only a bad time, but also quite ineffective, given the stress and dissociation I had to maintain daily. I was focused entirely on the "how" in our previous conversation and was not seeking answers to pressing questions. The result was a likely frustrating and forgettable experience as I brought [...]

Dear Stef,

I need your help. I've been a long time listener and sought out therapy as soon as I turned 18. Between then and now I have made very limited progress chipping away at my armor and processing my childhood. I'm panicking at how long its taking when I want to cross the desert, meet a virtuous woman and maketh the babies.

I think biggest hurdle is that I'm quite split between my emotional and intellectual. I'm really strong on the intellectual side, identifying patterns, reasoning through healthy behavior, and making theoretical connections with my past. I've learned this alone [...]

In this conversation, Stefan discusses marital challenges with a caller and his wife, Alice, centered around parenting three young children. The couple struggles with disconnection and resentment, particularly concerning physical intimacy since the birth of their twins. Alice shares her anxiety stemming from a difficult upbringing, while the caller reflects on his father's emotional unavailability.

Stefan emphasizes the importance of addressing unresolved traumas, mutual respect, and open communication to meet each other's emotional needs. He offers actionable advice on establishing [...]

"I listen to you daily and have been for months now. Previously I had been an on-again, off-again frequent listener since I believe 2013 or so (started with YouTube then navigated to your website.) Your wisdom and insight is invaluable, and I have called in before now twice. I am now a subscriber and have donated before. Thank you so much.

"The reason I wish to call in this time is because my relationship with the mother of my 3 children has finally come to an end, I hope for good. That is the plan, anyway. The short version just for this synopsis is that we have been slowly drifting apart [...]

In this episode, I discuss Universally Preferable Behavior (UPB) with a caller looking to deepen their understanding of ethics. We define UPB as a systematic method for evaluating moral rules and explore its application through real-life scenarios, such as the ethics of assault. As we examine complex issues like fraud and societal responsibilities, we highlight how UPB addresses objections and reinforces the universality of truth. The conversation concludes with a focus on UPB's potential to reduce societal violence and its implications for parenting, encouraging listeners to reflect on the [...]