Audacious Compassion

Our final episode. We appreciate all of you very much, and want to thank you for listening and sharing your questions and situations with us. Don’t forget that you can find us elsewhere: Gregory’s actual play podcast Tabletop Garden. Future Proof Games, our indie game studio and the Future Proof Podcast. We make games that … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 029 – Toothpaste and Lemonade"

Another short episode this month, and our final scheduled episode until we receive a prompt. We focus mostly on some media that’s been inspiring us: Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle and the crushing feeling of looooong-running projects. Hbomberguy‘s massive Twitch stream of Donkey Kong 64 in support of the Mermaids charity. Famous folks like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 028 – January 2019 Update"

No full episode this month, but we give an update on how we’re doing and plug our other work: Melissa’s publishing a trip diary of their Christmas trip to Nuremberg! Gregory has been working on revamping and improving their Patreon. Gregory has a new podcast called Tabletop Garden, where you can listen to short roleplaying … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 027 – Holiday Update 2018"

We talk about how to persuade people to be compassionate. This is a combined October/November episode, with a transcription coming soon! Our prompt came from a friend of the show: So yeah, like, I play a lot of video games, like you do, and I consider myself open-minded and respectful of other people while playing. I … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 026 – Schrödinger’s Ableist"

We talk about demonstrating active compassion in the face of systemic injustice. Our prompt came from a friend of the show and was paraphrased from a verbal conversation: I really like your show, but I have a hard time figuring out how to apply your ideas. I work in an industry where I see active … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 025 – Ramen Philosophy"

We talk about being compassionate toward a group of anonymous people that you perceive as immorally complacent. Content warnings for this episode: mention of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. We also talk about The Norwood Suite by Cosmo D; Fallen London by Failbetter Games; and Melissa’s Fallen London fiction, “The Bazaar Correspondent“. If … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 024 – Enjoying That Hamburger"

We discuss recognizing when people are making assumptions about the role family should have in your life and how to deal with that. Content warnings for this episode: discussions of depression, family problems, and self-harm. We also talk about #loveindies week, which we participated in, and He, She and It by Marge Piercy. Please share … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 023 – Be Dramatic"

No episode this month! We didn’t receive a listener prompt, and we’ve decided not to make a habit of coming up with topics just for the sake of making an episode. If you have a question or topic surrounding everyday compassion, write us@avery-weir.net. Share the podcast with a friend, and let us know if you … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 022.5 – A Brief Message"

We discuss bikeshedding, which is when people discussing solutions for a large, complex problem bog themselves down in minutia. In this episode, we examine a situation in which a discussion about redesigning healthcare in the United States becomes hyper-focused on one aspect of American health and lifestyle. Content warnings for this episode: discussions of anti-fat … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 022 – Two Spaces Per Tab"

We discuss proxy arguments, where people are having a disagreement in place of a wider ideological argument. In this episode, we look at the current state of the Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange. Why are people getting suspended left and right? Why does IPS seem to have more problems than other similar sites? What can they … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 021 – Unironic Devil’s Advocate"

How can you accept your feelings and still make intentional choices when you’re in an unpleasant situation? Our prompt comes from a listener: Dear Y’all, Help me not hate my puppy. My teenage son called me in a panic recently because our puppy had bitten him on the finger. It turned out that it was a … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 020 – Cute Cat Photo"

How do you show compassion when a tragedy happens to someone you don’t know well? Our prompt comes from a listener: How to express compassion when someone you know, but not that well, is going through something rough. The instigating situation is the husband of one of my coworkers passed away, and some of my other … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 019 – Bobblehead of Starbuck"

How do you understand and handle your own rash emotional reactions in everyday situations? Our prompt comes from Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange user Yvette Colomb (original and abridged version ccbysa3.0): I’ve always had a short fuse. I’ve been quick to rise and lose my temper, but on the flip side I’m quick to get over it when … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 018 – A Perfectly Good Strategy"

How do you manage your own and others’ grudges and longstanding grievances? Our prompt comes from Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange user Tinkeringbell (original and abridged version ccbysa3.0): About 8 years ago, we had some serious get-a-lawyer trouble with a couple of neighbors. I was in university at the time, and I have a general knowledge of what … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 017 – Holiday Cheer"

How do people in a community choose to be disruptive or considerate? Our prompt comes from an anonymous listener: Dear Y’all, I am a teacher struggling a bit with empathy for my students. Some situations are fairly minor. For example, I strongly dislike a student who constantly comes late to class and then takes up time … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 016 – I Don’t Even Have Cutlery"

How do you deal with someone who makes assumptions about people based on hasty categorization? Our prompt comes from Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange user Xander (original and abridged version ccbysa3.0): A close relative was recently engaged to this very sweet and friendly woman (aged 24) who happens to have a rather bad trait. She’s very quick to … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 015 – Four Pints in a Gallon"

How do you understand requests for attention and help others understand your boundaries? Our prompt comes from Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange user Mark (original and abridged version ccbysa3.0): Basically, I don’t have enough time. I have so many things I want to do (books to read, stories to write, pictures to draw, etc.) that I … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 014 – Weird Abusive House Ghosts"

We’ve had a year of Audacious Compassion episodes! Let’s review some of the recurring themes in our chats! We discuss: Having meta-conversations about an issue, Courtesy vs. kindness in the context of power, and Self-reflection to determine what your feelings actually are about an issue. We also talk about Restaurant to Another World and the … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 013 – Dull Food Piece"

How can you be compassionate (and act compassionately) toward someone with hateful views? We’re a little late this month, but our topic is a good one. It comes from an anonymous user, who asks: How about compassion for someone with very different and opposite world views? For example, I have an Islamophobic coworker. I know … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 012 – Your Soul Leaving Your Body"

How do you communicate in a group of friends with conventions that grate on your nerves? Our topic today is from our friend Zoë: How do I deal with a group of friends who engages in a behavior that you find frustrating (like, constantly interrupting or talking over each other) but no one doing it … Continue reading "Audacious Compassion 011 – Compassion for the Pooches"