Latest Episodes

Is there one good idea in this episode? Dara admits he is all over the place at the moment. He is not burnt out, just a bit overwhelmed. Between ageing parents in need of comprehensive care, trying to find work, doing a masters, and just keeping up with the normal day-to-day demands, it feels like a lot. So he sits down at the mic without a plan and decides to see if anything comes to him.
In this episode, Dara is considering Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing's proposition that "love is a cover for violence". Informed by Game Theory and the work he did with twelve female schizophrenic patients in the 1960s, Laing came to believe the manipulative interpersonal dynamics that were playing out behind closed doors were effectively driving the Glasgow housewives mad. However, Laing concluded that the madness was a form of self-defence and arguably the only sane response to the oppressive nature of what the women were experiencing.
In this episode, Dara is leaning into the power of conversation as a means cultivating deeper thought and connection, both with others and with the self. Bumping up against parts of ourselves we would rather weren't there at all, he argues for a radical humility that completely removes the ego from the equation. Aren't we much better equipped to assess ourselves if we can do so without the burden of ego and its expectations?
In this episode, Dara is thinking of the old men. Well, two old men specifically - Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford, both of whom just had very public displays of emotion. De Niro started crying on a chat show as he reflected on the state of the world and hoped for a better future. Ford made a very eloquent and emotional speech as he accepted a life time achievement award in Hollywood.
In this episode, Dara shares thoughts and reactions to the recent Tourette's Syndrome N-word debacle at the BAFTA awards. Rather than simply weighing in with his own perspective, he referred to Higher Learning, the Black culture podcast that he was sure would address the issue squarely and fairly. Whatever about the offence given, the discourse around both racism and Tourette's, and the N-word itself, the BBC emerged from the affair with very little credit.
In this episode, Dara revisits the careers and acting talent of two very special American actors - the very recently deceased Robert Duvall and Tom Noonan. Duvall had an amazingly long career from his breakthrough role in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, through the New Hollywood 70s and right on to this current decade. He was a performer of effortless and natural charm who was a master of quiet, deceptively unmannered acting.

About the Podcast

Welcome to the turbulence!

Join Dara Clear, a domesticated Irishman who is trying to work out the best ways to cope with what life throws at him.

Husband, father, actor, writer, teacher, karate instructor, and sea swimmer, Dara wants to take the wuss out of wellness.

Mixing storytelling, philosophy, humor, psychology, and emotional honesty as a recipe for increased wellness, positivity, and resilience.

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