Investigative Selfism

This is really scary to admit and identify: all the areas of life and my very being where I have been dehumanising myself. But we have to push through the discomfort of asking this question. Why? Because how can we fight against the dehumanisation of others if we're still, albeit unknowingly, dehumanising ourselves? If we're not living our lives with our backs straight? If we're consta...

This episode is a crossover between Investigative Selfism and my more political project, The Exploding Head. It's a crossover because it's about the heaviness that many of you might be feeling: the heaviness of existing in the world where crimes are being committed against my and your humanity continuously. And if you're following what's happening in Palestine, this is what you mig...

We can call it war propaganda (as we should), but we can also use another rather popular concept: gaslighting. This is what is being done to us on a global scale, as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran is being waged. That's why, if you're feeling something's very off, if you're feeling that you might be losing your mind if/when you watch the mainstream media, indeed, that is the point. I...

In short, protect your kindness by reminding yourself not to bow down to fascists. Because being a safe space for those who dehumanise others will inevitably dehumanise you, too. #antifascist   #solidarity   #FreePalestine   #Gaza   #decolonise

The more we know, the more things can hurt. The more interconnected we are, the more there is for our hearts, minds, and souls to handle, inevitably. Yet if we have the capacity - that sometimes looks like a privilege, I know - to stand up, I invite us to do exactly that. #antifascist #FreePalestine #AbolishICE #solidarity #mentalhealth #collectivetrauma

This episode is a crossover between Investigative Selfism and The Exploding Head, my more political project. I've chosen to post my message in both because, in the end, it's about how we choose to show up in times that are extremely worrying globally. And because I think it can't be clearer that polite self-silencing, smallness, and not being unapologetically anti-fascist aren't se...

Stillness can suck -- because sometimes, what comes out of it is not necessarily pleasant. I know we all know it intellectually, but I'm inviting you to actually create space for it at the end of the year and see what happens. See what needs attention. See what needs self-compassion. (I share my own "discoveries", very much related to what we've been witnessing in Palestine for t...

It's painful: to choose to live a life that's not yours. To become someone else, for others. Not to live with integrity. Not to have the courage to speak out against mass atrocities. In the last episode of the fifth season of Investigative Selfism, I'm inviting you to smash self-abandonment. I also invite you to follow my political project, The Exploding Head, on social media and on an...

In the end - holy shit - if genocide apologists have no shame of speaking out, why would you self-censor yourself when there's something you feel called to express? It's what I remind myself often. And it's definitely part of that work to uncover and start repairing my smallness. The conversation I mention in my video is here: https://bit.ly/430Fc2a

This is not a rhetorical question. It’s a question I’m inviting you to ask when Fascism is on the rise, our planet is on fire, gender conditioning is still strong (demanding half of the world’s population to center the comfort of the other half), and when we know that unexpressed anger will express itself in our bodies as an illness later in life. It’s a reminder, an invitation, and a call to acti...

I'm continuing the theme of my fifth season: an invitation to smash - completely, unapologetically - some concepts, habits, and patterns in your life. My second episode is about having the courage to admit that some people you might have praised are not worthy of your praise and loyalty anymore. And yes, I give some embarrassing personal examples here.

The fourth season of my podcast was about getting real about things. The fifth one is about smashing them. I start it with an embarrassing admission of my own ignorance and arrogance. The denial of my privilege. The desire to appear a certain way and simply denying reality. I invite you, once again, on this uncomfortable journey. We're in multiple crises at the same time; the sooner we decolonise...

In my closing episode of the season, I invite you to be honest with yourselves about what's occupying your head, heart, and soul. I don't mean the things we choose to carry unnecessarily. I mean the big, meaningful, and oftentimes heavy things. I also invite you not to push anything down but to create space for those states.

It was a combination of an unexpected tragic event that I witnessed recently and the continuous witnessing of Israel’s mass murder in Gaza that sparked this episode. In it, I share two reminders with you that can help when you’re navigating difficult times. One, it’s a reminder to give yourself some grace. Can you acknowledge that it IS a tough situation you never had to navigate before? Two, it’s...

It's difficult to see a population being destroyed. It's difficult to see acquaintances - and our leaders - express Fascist views. It's difficult to expect friends to speak out but not always get it. In short, there's a lot to process: both what's happening in Gaza and the world. For me, it took a long time to consciously allow myself to feel my heartbreak completely. And, hone...

Although this post might seem like a strong “You know, you  should  really…” it actually isn’t. It’s not a ‘should’ but an invitation to slow down for an hour or so and reflect on how you’d like your 2024 to be. Or, rather, how  you  would like to show up this year. Just the past five years, I’ve moved countries probably more than five times, changed my career completely and switched jobs four tim...

I'm closing this year inviting you to explore the importance of feeling our emotions (including healthy anger) and not disregard what an alarming amount of research points to. The connection between suppressing healthy anger, the stress it creates on our immuno, neuro, and endocrine systems, and chronic illnesses that stem from that IS alarming. I'm inviting you to embark on the path that...

This is not an episode that contains "answers" -- but what I do want to do is to hold space for everyone struggling as a genocide in Gaza is unfolding. Through the guilt, shame, privileges, painful silence of friends, and other things to navigate, I invite you to both normalise not being OK and to move through it as you take meaningful action. As I say at the very beginning of my episode...

My fourth season is all about getting real, so this makes a lot of sense to ask: what are you really about? These past weeks have been extremely centering for many. I also noticed how many people who could be considered (and in some ways, they really can be) intellectuals seem to, in the end, stand for nothing. Your answer doesn’t have to be political like mine. But I do invite you to ask yourself...

As a political commentator who focuses on Palestine and a human, I have to say that the last month has been very tough. But it has also shown me something that I know many of us have to navigate: being very much imperfect people doing work that matters to us. I think to continue, self-compassion is a must, together with a very simple understanding that imperfections are (1) very subjective and (2)...

As a political commentator and a person, I know this week has been a very tough one for anyone following what's been happening in Palestine. That is, including myself. As I admit to you in my video, even I, the person who preaches about the importance of self-care and being mindful of our mental health, failed at many things this week. Hence, this reminder is very needed --- and I talk about s...

Who we surround ourselves with is - it sucks to admit but science shows it's true - who we are in the end (well, not completely, but you know what I mean). So let's get real about what that circle is and how to make sure it's what truly supports and inspires us. The questions I’m inviting you to ask aren’t comfortable (but that’s the point): In short: yes, there is, but it all starts w...

I am very excited to be back and I've decided to make my fourth season all about GETTING REAL. It's about asking questions that are more uncomfortable, connecting the dots between the inner and the outer, and sharing a more authentic me with you. And you know, I start by doing exactly that: by telling you how I see Investigative Selfism and what bigger meaning it has in terms of my life mi...

I'm finishing the third season of Investigative Selfism and will be taking a short break until September. But I can't leave without saying something! I wanted to say a big THANK YOU for being curious, caring for yourselves, and taking the time to learn about the frameworks I was presenting to you here. Not everyone does it. Not everyone has a growth mindset and seeks knowledge that can act...

You can never know how powerful a word of appreciation and encouragement can be. So why whyyyy would you hold back? Especially when you mean it. Choose to be that caring and encouraging friend. That's it! That's the gist of my quick episode. Choose to empower your friends ❤️ The whole third season of my podcast is about empowerment and since there's only one video/podcast episode left...