001 | What Is Transcend Human?

Here we go! The inaugural episode of the Transcend Human Podcast.

Here are some of the ideas/concepts we cover in this episode:

Communication Spectrum: 

• Writing (behind the scenes/content creation)

• Podcasting (audio/voice)

• YouTubers (video/voice and picture)

• Public Speaking (full social engagement in real time)

Today’s Topic: What is Transcend Human and where did it come from?

Sections:

1. The Human Condition

2. Our Response to the Human Condition

3. The Matrix

4. Disclaimers

// 1 THE HUMAN CONDITION

The Human Condition defined: 

• The totality of the human experience

  • A person’s “life journey” from birth to death

    • Includes all major milestones like: childhood, education, graduations, relationships, marriage, divorce, children, retirement, etc.

    • And within that skeleton - all other life experiences we face: Things as simple as a positive interactions at a grocery store. And things as traumatic as being kidnapped, or being involved in a major car accident

  • It also includes any medical issues we experience during our lifetime  

  • And finally, it includes our state of mental health: The way we think, feel and behave in response to our life experiences

  • To summarize: The human condition is the totality of these three areas throughout our lives:

    • Our life journey

    • Our physical condition

    • Our state of mental health

// 2 OUR RESPONSE TO THE HUMAN CONDITION

• As I was rehashing this concept from the past, these truths stood out:

  • The human condition applies to everyone

  • Nobody is exempt from the different elements of the human condition

  • And yet we all act differently when confronted with similar life experiences

  • Why is this?

  • It’s because we all have the ability to choose how we respond to the experiences we face

  • And while there is a vast spectrum of ways we can respond to it, I think there are two high level categories most people fall into:

    • The Earthly/Human View: Tends to be reactionary, survival of the fittest, get as much as you can, as long as you’re happy, etc. 

    • The Higher View (or the Transcendent View): Tends to be proactive, looking out for the good of others, living with purpose, etc.

    • THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO TRANSCEND HUMAN: To transcend human is to stand up, look around, and determine that living on purpose if better than just reacting to what the world throws at us...

// 3 THE MATRIX

• The Matrix movie series is a good illustration of Transcend Human:

• The Matrix Trilogy was directed by The Wachowski Brothers

• Summary:

  • People living on planet Earth are not physically there - instead they are living in a computer simulation called The Matrix

  • Most of the people living in the matrix are oblivious to the fact that the world around them is NOT real

  • There are people who became aware of this fact - and chose to live outside of The Matrix

  • Neo is the “savior” character in the series - and illustrates the entire process from naivete to enlightenment:

    1. Began to feel like something wasn’t right

    2. Began searching for the truth

    3. Found Morpheus and his crew who offered him the truth:

       1. Blue pill - go back to your life

       2. Red pill - “You stay in wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

    4. Neo chose the red pill - choosing to know the truth vs. staying in the world he knew and was comfortable navigating 

    5. Then he lived in that truth - which ultimately led to him saving Zion and fulfilling his destiny

And so it is with us in this life… 

• Many of us are walking around oblivious to the fact that we’re slaves to a construct the world has created

• We believe the lie that the world revolves around us and our happiness

• We can’t see beyond our little bubble of safety and security

• But like Neo, some of us feel the discrepancy. We begin searching for truth, and eventually find a purpose that transcends the construct of this world - and in this we find true purpose for living

// 4 DISCLAIMERS

• Important observations about myself and how my life circumstance could impact my thoughts and opinions:

  • Worldview: Judeo/Christian

  • Ethnicity: Caucasian

  • Gender: Male

  • Socio-economic status:

    • Upper Middle Class / USA / Orange County, CA

    • Ranking: In the 98th percentile globally

• Given this, it is VERY important for me to recognize the privilege I hold, and the responsibility I have to be open-minded, and inclusive as I seek to dialogue with people of every gender/sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, level of education, socioeconomic status, political persuasion, and how a person is experiencing the human condition.