LOVE & UNDERSTANDING

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Love & Understanding

John Driggs
  • 4.5 (19)
  • Philosophy

In Love & Understanding, the goal is wisdom. John Driggs, the show's host, is interested in building a personal and secular spiritual life - one that is grounded in honesty, humility, science, reason, meditation, reflection, contemplation, and compassion. John wants you to know yourself, to love yourself, to embody yourself fully. He wants you to learn to walk your own path in peace. Topics covered in this podcast include ancient wisdom traditions, religion, moral philosophy, epistemology, reason and rationality, meditation and contemplative practices, consciousness, the life and physical sciences, art, poetry, literature, society, politics, law, communication, relationships, family, parenting, pedagogy, and many more topics. For John's free meditations, please see The Space of Possibility. https://spaceofpossibility.org

  1. Jun 17

    Tolerance & The Open Society with Jeremy Shearmer

    In this episode, John speaks with Dr. Jeremy Shearmur about Karl Popper's popular paradox of toleration. They highlight the importance of distinguishing criticisms of a person from criticisms of an idea, and how this can be difficult since our identities can contain so many ideas. They emphasized the importance of bringing humility and the recognition of our own fallibility to any critical discussion. They discussed the importance of respecting "background knowledge"--the existing knowledge of experts in any field--while simultaneously acknowledging its fallibility. And finally, they discussed pluralism--not only the plurality of ideas, customs, and beliefs, but also the plurality of paradigms that hold those ideas, customs, and beliefs, including how the heuristics and epistemic approaches they each take--and how pluralism fits into the greater frame of critical rationalism. Dr. Jeremy Shearmur is a Reader in Political Theory in the Faculty of Arts at The Australian National University. Professor Shearmur was educated at the London School of Economics (University of London), where he also worked for eight years as assistant to Professor Sir Karl Popper. Professor Shearmur's Ph.D. thesis on F. A. Hayek was a joint winner of the British Political Studies Association's Sir Ernest Barker prize in political theory. Prior to taking his position in Australia, Professor Shearmur taught philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and political theory at the University of Manchester. He also served as Director of Studies of the Center for Policy Studies and worked as a research associate professor for the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. Professor Shearmur has published The Political Thought of Karl Popper (1966) and Hayek and After (1996) and was joint editor of H. B. Acton's The Morals of Markets and Related Essays (1993). He has also published numerous papers in philosophy and political thought.

    1h 19m
  2. The Problem with Certainty with Jeremy Shearmur

    Apr 28

    The Problem with Certainty with Jeremy Shearmur

    In this episode of Love & Understanding, I sit down with philosopher Jeremy Shearmur, who worked closely with Karl Popper for nearly a decade, to explore what it means to live in an “open society.” We begin with Popper’s central insight: that knowledge is always provisional, and that progress depends on our willingness to be wrong, to receive criticism, and to revise our beliefs. From there, we examine how these ideas extend beyond philosophy into politics, institutions, and everyday life. Together, we explore: -The tension between certainty and fallibility -The moral and epistemological foundations of an open society -The rise of polarization, populism, and distrust in institutions -How social media shapes (and distorts) our search for truth -The role of criticism, pluralism, and intellectual humility in a functioning democracy Shearmur also offers a rare, personal look into Popper as a human being—brilliant, driven, and deeply imperfect—and reflects on the challenges of embodying philosophical ideals in real life. This is a conversation about truth, error, and the fragile conditions required for a society to remain open, self-correcting, and free.

    1h 4m
  3. Ritual in Secular Spirituality with Britt Hartley

    Apr 8

    Ritual in Secular Spirituality with Britt Hartley

    In this episode, John speaks with Britt Hartley. Britt is the author of a #1 bestseller in secular spirituality. Her book is titled No Nonsense Spirituality. Britt has a masters degree in theology. She considers herself a secular spiritual director, sufi mystic, nihilism survivor, religious deconstruction coach, and a Program Director for Spiritual Direction Training. Britt was a blast to speak with. She has one of the most brilliant minds I’ve come across. She expresses herself with both a humility and a confidence. I am grateful to have her as a leader in this space, especially to keep her male counterparts in check. I learned a lot from our conversation, and I hope you do too. https://nononsensespirituality.com https://a.co/d/0flKNN9w https://www.instagram.com/nononsensespirituality/

    1h 18m
  4. Intelligence, Agency, & Consciousness with Shiv Sengupta

    Mar 12

    Intelligence, Agency, & Consciousness with Shiv Sengupta

    In this episode, John speaks with the writer and philosopher Shiv Sengupta, who is quickly rising the ranks in Substack's top 100 Philosophers. Shiv is an incredibly clear and introspective thinker, who carries a remarkable intellectual prowess while still remaining humble and ultimately grounded in wisdom - his empty, interconnected, ever-changing nature. You can learn more about him at his website Advaitaholics Anonymous, as well as his Substack blog Dark Night of the Soul.

    1h 17m
  5. Healing through Understanding

    Feb 26

    Healing through Understanding

    In this episode, John speaks with Linnea Butler. Linnea Butler is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Science in Molecular Biology. She founded Bay Area Mental Health, where she helps people with trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety using a number of modalities, including DBT, sensorimotor therapy, ketamine assisted psychotherapy, among others. In our conversation, we discuss the difference between shock trauma and developmental trauma, common struggles in relationships, shadow work, attachment styles, parts work, somatic work, and much more. In any case, I really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you do too.

    49 min
  6. Love & Taoism

    Feb 6

    Love & Taoism

    In this episode, John speaks with Prashanthi Amarnath about her book Embracing Paradox, which pulls from Taoist wisdom. We discuss the Taoist concept Wu Wei, or effortless action, love, parenting, identity, and the paradox between science and mysticism, among other subjects. You can find Prashanthi's book here.

    53 min
  7. Putting Down the Self Weight

    Jan 27

    Putting Down the Self Weight

    In this episode, John speaks with Mike Kewley about his book The Treasure House: Discovering Enlightenment Exactly Where You Are. Mike Kewley is a leading Mindfulness Teacher, TEDx Speaker, and Author based on the Isle of Man, UK. With over 25 years of experience exploring meditation, spirituality, and nonduality. Mike combines deep insight with practical wisdom to help people transform their everyday lives. The eldest son of Meditation Master Dhammachariya Pannadipa, Mike holds degrees in Religious Studies and Western Esotericism. His teaching draws from both academic knowledge and decades of personal practice, offering a unique and grounded approach to mindfulness. Mike has shared his work widely, delivering a popular TEDx talk on Happiness, appearing on Conscious TV, and being featured in publications including Mensa Magazine, The Liverpool Echo, Women’s Fitness and The Independent. His first book, The Treasure House – Discovering Enlightenment Exactly Where You Are (New Sarum Press, 2022), was praised for its clarity and accessibility. He is currently writing his second book, The Living Moment – A Guide to Ordinary Enlightenment.

    52 min
  8. A Practice of Conscious Living

    12/30/2025

    A Practice of Conscious Living

    In this episode, John explores how we can apply the Buddha's four foundations of mindfulness to our daily lives.

    1h 19m
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Trailer

4.5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

In Love & Understanding, the goal is wisdom. John Driggs, the show's host, is interested in building a personal and secular spiritual life - one that is grounded in honesty, humility, science, reason, meditation, reflection, contemplation, and compassion. John wants you to know yourself, to love yourself, to embody yourself fully. He wants you to learn to walk your own path in peace. Topics covered in this podcast include ancient wisdom traditions, religion, moral philosophy, epistemology, reason and rationality, meditation and contemplative practices, consciousness, the life and physical sciences, art, poetry, literature, society, politics, law, communication, relationships, family, parenting, pedagogy, and many more topics. For John's free meditations, please see The Space of Possibility. https://spaceofpossibility.org

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