In this episode, Dara is trying to make sense of his relationship to repetition. What compels him to adhere so faithfully to his exercise routines? What is he trying to achieve? Or prove? And do those habits cross over to other areas of his life? He argues it is connected to his liking for order and rightness. He also acknowledges it has something to do with small ‘c’ conservatism and his own flavour of idealism.
Idealism can be routinely dismissed by a sneering world as immature and unrealistic, but Dara makes the case for it being the most important thing we might have. He believes it is something sacred that can be at the very heart of our integrity. It can be the one thing that enables us to hold our centre and keep our heads when the whole world feels like it is going to blow.
He concedes there may be something masochistic and self-punishing about continually subjecting oneself to further physical and psychological testing, but that happens to be the type of idealism he favours and he sees no reason to change it anytime soon. If it ain’t broke…