In this episode, Dara talks about the affection for survival narratives and considers the respective legacies of the recently deceased singers and songwriters Tina Turner and Christy Dignam. He wonders whether we should be defined by what we’ve overcome in life. He also questions the value of legacy and argues for the need to be more concerned with our present-tense impact.
Is surviving enough, or should we aspire to thrive? Dara argues for the pursuit, or recognition, of momentary joy as a viable alternative to the questionable concept of happiness. If we can appreciate the temporary nature of joy, it might help us become comfortable with the temporary presence of other experiences such as anger, sadness, grief etc.
Dara struggles with the cliche ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. He believes that it is often the case that whatever doesn’t kill you can have long lasting negative effects on your wellbeing. The challenge is to retain your humanity, your compassion, your positivity even though we all have different burdens to carry.
Time is also found to offer a late take on HBO’s Succession (no spoilers).