Dara Clear, Author at The ClearOut

The Importance of Orientation, or Why the Loss of Bearings is No Joke! – Episode 113

In this episode, Dara’s aged cat has gone to the toilet in the wrong place, and the cause is not feline terrorism but dementia and disorientation. The loss of bearings is a very difficult thing to negotiate because it can result in dislocation. Dara argues that as fundamentally relational beings, we need landmarks and touchstones to position ourselves in the world.

The Importance of Orientation, or Why the Loss of Bearings is No Joke! – Episode 113 Read More »

Riding the Gere-Stick to the Worst Poem in History! – Episode 112

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this episode, Dara wrestles with the conundrum that is Richard Gere. Self-satisfied narcissus or instinctive, id-driven sex animal? Is he a good actor? Is he just a fantasy figure beloved of Generation X moviegoers? Is he forever the man who rescued Julia Roberts from the streets? Dara examines Gere’s legacy through some of his most memorable performances and discusses in detail Breathless, the bizarre 1983 Hollywood remake of Godard’s A Bout de Souffle with an uncontainable turn from Gere at his most overtly sexual.

Riding the Gere-Stick to the Worst Poem in History! – Episode 112 Read More »

Don’t Mind if I Do! Helping Oneself to Moral Failure – Episode 111

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this week’s episode Dara is bothered by the current controversy in Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE. He is bothered, but not surprised by it, because it is simply another example of institutional corruption and moral complacency. He looks at why people continually fail to rein in their greed and dishonesty.

Don’t Mind if I Do! Helping Oneself to Moral Failure – Episode 111 Read More »

In Pod We Trust! Trying to Find Something to Depend On in Unreliable Times – Episode 110

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this week’s episode, Dara is trying to work out who he should trust. After watching the current Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary on Netflix, he finds himself unsatisfied with the Austrian bodybuilder’s account of past indiscretions, but what would satisfy him? A little more honesty and insight would be a good place to start.

In Pod We Trust! Trying to Find Something to Depend On in Unreliable Times – Episode 110 Read More »

Blips on the Grid – The Randomness of Human Interaction – Episode 109

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this episode, Dara considers the randomness and unpredictability of human interaction over a lifetime. He argues that we simply never know what is going on with another person when we encounter them, even if we have had a relationship with them for years. We never know what they’re bringing to that particular moment, which means that if anything close to harmony or connection occurs, it is almost miraculous!

Blips on the Grid – The Randomness of Human Interaction – Episode 109 Read More »

Survival, Transcendence, and the Myth of Whatever Doesn’t Kill You – Episode 108

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

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.

Survival, Transcendence, and the Myth of Whatever Doesn’t Kill You – Episode 108 Read More »

Retreat! The Places We Escape To, For Better or Worse – Episode 107

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this hazy episode, Dara seeks solace in mindful summer moments and solitary swims. He discusses the idea of retreat and running away to the places we find most comforting and tries to identify which ones might be better for us.

Retreat! The Places We Escape To, For Better or Worse – Episode 107 Read More »

The Process Before The Prize: The Qualitative Approach to Life – Episode 106

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this episode, Dara shares the realisation that he is not goal-oriented. He is all about the process. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey, man! He argues for the stabilising properties of having a process in place and tries to understand why it is that stability appeals so much.

The Process Before The Prize: The Qualitative Approach to Life – Episode 106 Read More »

Safety First! – The Benefits of Safe Places, Safe People, and a Safe You – Episode 105

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

In this episode Dara looks at the idea of safety as a keystone of wellness. In particular he concentrates on environmental and interpersonal safety. This pertains to the places we live and the people we share our lives with. Are they safe? How do we understand and recognise safety? And why is it so important, anyway?

Safety First! – The Benefits of Safe Places, Safe People, and a Safe You – Episode 105 Read More »

Hugs, Threats, Non-Transferable Skill Sets, and a Day Told in Reverse – Episode 104

Leave a Comment / Podcast / Dara Clear

This week’s episode begins and ends with a hug, because we all need a hug sometimes, right? Dara thinks so, and he looks at the idea of self-soothing in a wellness context, arguing that it is a particularly useful practice when aligned with mindfulness.

Hugs, Threats, Non-Transferable Skill Sets, and a Day Told in Reverse – Episode 104 Read More »

Dara Clear

The Importance of Orientation, or Why the Loss of Bearings is No Joke! – Episode 113

Riding the Gere-Stick to the Worst Poem in History! – Episode 112

In Pod We Trust! Trying to Find Something to Depend On in Unreliable Times – Episode 110

Blips on the Grid – The Randomness of Human Interaction – Episode 109

Survival, Transcendence, and the Myth of Whatever Doesn’t Kill You – Episode 108

Retreat! The Places We Escape To, For Better or Worse – Episode 107

The Process Before The Prize: The Qualitative Approach to Life – Episode 106

Safety First! – The Benefits of Safe Places, Safe People, and a Safe You – Episode 105

Hugs, Threats, Non-Transferable Skill Sets, and a Day Told in Reverse – Episode 104

Support me on Patreon

Privacy Policy