Inspire Change SEASON 7-294 Beyond Profit Aligning Economics with Authentic Masculinity

This week on Inspire Change, Gunter dives into a discussion on beyond profist and aligning economics with authentic masculinity. We are discussing this because masculinity is socially woven into economics and society.

This week's gratitude goes out to those of you listening in Iceland.  We welcome you to the Top Ten Global listeners list. CONGRATULATIONS at landing at #10 You Made it!!!!!
We thank for tuning in and promoting positive social change.  This makes you a part of Gunter’s efforts in transforming not only men's lives but lives in general and we are grateful you have joined us.  
I, DeVonna Prinzi the Co-Exec Producer and our Showrunner Miranda Spigener-Sapon sincerely thank you and ask that you please take the time to like, follow, subscribe, and share as your efforts make a difference to everyone here at Inspire Change with Gunter.   Please remember If you want to share your story of social change, feel free to reach out  to the show directly. Please see the show-notes for our contact information. As always thank you to each and every one of our listeners, but most importantly please keep Inspiring positive social change.


On a side note: Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's neo-noir/supernatural thriller novel Amulets of Power, Book I A Brian Poole Mystery is officially ON SALE EVERYWHERE you like to get book, but if you want a discount please consider ording direct. ANY LISTENER who order's direct will get a surprise gift. https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=3RoOA6kVQ7ZgmqSK9LdnvNyDAZZFsg9IMaLUaprPgXK

The entire team at Inspire Change with Gunter would like to bring attention to our neighbor listeners to the south of us in Mexico!  Particularly all of you in Mexico City for this week's gratitude journey.  Congratulations!!  For the first time you are only 5 spots away from the "Top Ten Global Listeners List" as you made it to #15 .  Thank you/Gracias  to each and every listener.   We appreciate everyone of you and are grateful for your likes, shares, follows and subscribes, but most of all for you continuing to inspire positive social change!

Make sure you LIKE SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW our new Official YouTube Channel of Video Shorts series: https://www.youtube.com/@InspireChangewithGunterSwoboda/videos where we will be adding new videos and content every week from Gunter and our guests.  https://www.youtube.com/@InspireChangewithGunterSwoboda/videos

Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's new novel Amulets of Power, Book I - A Brian Poole Mystery trilogy.  CHECK OUT the critic's praise:

Editorial Reviews
"Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's entrée novel weaves you in a deep and captivating story of thematic and impactful visuals of traditions and the obligations that come with it.  The reader will be hooked and ready for the next book in this trilogy." - The Associated Press

"Captivating character development and unforeseen plot twists; the novel guarantees to enthrall readers with its seamless merger of historical depth and contemporary drama, ensuring a riveting and electrifying read." -Publishers Weekly

"Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's debut novel Amulets of Power blends noir detective with the supernatural; set in London, England." - KTLA News

Visually impactful1" - Australian Post Observer

https://www.amazon.com/Amulets-Power-Book-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/0999266861/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3138WSYER8QW7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.0xI2jpo4SQUQV36nWY8d4Q.e7_ogc11xe5fR6J7kl3m5EfTJeYBQty35YqdG-eoutY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Amulets+of+Power%2C+Book+I%3A+A+Brian+Poole+Mystery&qid=1745973832&s=books&sprefix=amulets+of+power%2C+book+i+a+brian+poole+mystery%2Cstripbooks%2C171&sr=1-1 (Worldwide free shipping for Prime Members)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amulets-of-power-book-i-gunter-swoboda/1147319115?ean=9780999266861
https://www.booktopia.com.au/amulets-of-power-book-i-gunter-swoboda/book/9780999266861.html (Australia)

DON'T FORGET to join LEGENDS OF POWER SWOBODA-JOSEPHSON VIP Inner Circle. It includes a Pre-Order of Gunter Swoboda and Lorin Josephson's book which you can order here by joining the Legends of Power Swoboda-Josephson VIP Inner Circle - Its only $80 per year and you get a lot of benefits, events, and it includes membership into the Changemaker Collective here:https://www.bonfirecinema.com/bonfirevip

Watch the promo video narrated by the amazing https://markredfieldstudios.com and then  JOIN the Legends of Power Swoboda-Josephson VIP Circle that includes the Changemaker Collective! https://youtu.be/9JkFFWv7s0I?si=0yA7GjwWen-3OhRI

All points, viewpoints, discussions and subjects discussed on this podcast are those solely of the opinions and research  of Gunter Swoboda  for educational and information purposes. If you are needing advice or mental health assistance please contact your local therapist

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, listeners, it's good to siboa here with some exciting news.
We're on the lookout for sponsors to join us on
our incredible journey with Inspired Change with Conta. If your
organization cares deeply about meaningful conversations around masculinity, self development,
and mental health, we'd love to partner with you. Our

(00:24):
podcast has a wonderful, dedicated audience committed to personal growth
and positive social change. By sponsoring Inspired Change with Conta,
your brand will connect with listeners who truly value thoughtful
discussion and support initiatives that promote real transformation. We're incredibly

(00:47):
proud to be ranked number one in Australia and number
five in the USA on feed spots top men's mental
health Podcasts. For more information on how to become sponsor,
please reach out to Miranda Spegner sap On, our showrunner
and executive producer. We'd love to explore how we can

(01:09):
work together to inspire change. Now. Thank you for your
continued support, and let's keep inspiring change together.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
You're listening to Inspire Change, the broadcast that strives to educate, motivate,
and empower men to challenge traditions of masculinity to guide
us through the intricacies and intersections of emotions, relationships, and
male identity is renownced psychologists, author and speaker Gunter Swubota.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
This is Inspire Change.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Before I begin the actual podcast, I would like to
respectfully acknowledge the gategor people of the Order Nation, who
are the traditional custodians of the lane on which I work.
I would also like to pay my respects to their
elders past and present. Welcome everybody to another episode of

(02:02):
Inspired Change with gunt I'm your host. Welcome everybody to
another episode of Inspired Change with Gonta, the podcast that
I've dedicated to redefining masculinity and inspiring meaningful personal and
social change growth if you want to put that word in.

(02:22):
I'm your host, Gondo Swilbota. I'm an author of psychologist, psychotherapist, speaker,
and I'm interested in all things humanistic. That includes anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy,
but also the sciences, because without that we're not doing

(02:44):
very well either. Unfortunately, our emphasis over time has been
to shift from the humanities, which is a deep regret
that I have to what people often refer to as
pure science. Now some people actually think about science to

(03:04):
include things like economics, and that is essentially one of
the things I want to challenge in today's podcast, because
if it's going to be science, it needs to have
a certain level of predictability, and it appears that it doesn't.
But the other issue is that some time ago, it

(03:27):
was a couple of years ago, a commentator in the
Sydney Morning Herald in Australia, Ross Gittens, presented the idea
that economics is fundamentally grounded in Christian values. And I
thought that was particularly peculiar. I'm not sure how he

(03:47):
got to that, but it did. Now, while Christianity has
undeniably shaped aspects of Western culture, suggesting that our entire
economic system hinges exclusively on Christian values ignores a vast
expanse of human economic activity, In fact, spanning thousands of years.

(04:14):
The fundamental economic concepts of supply, demand, exchange, and corporation
verged long before Christianity, dating back to ancient civilizations such
as Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, and Greece. The ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato,

(04:34):
and Aristotle laid critical groundwork for economic thought that continues
to inform modern economics. Their philosophies focused on justice, equity,
and the ethical dimensions of economic interactions, long predating the
development of Christian doctrine. In other words, fundamentally, economics is

(04:58):
a subset of ethics, and we have completely lost crack
of this, much to our detriment individually and culturally. So
why am I discussing economics on a podcast about masculinity. Well,

(05:19):
because economics is inherently interwoven with social values and significantly
impacts on our conceptions of masculinity. The whole idea of
the protector providers essentially almost completely economic. Definitely the provider

(05:40):
and to some degree the protector. I'll leave that one
to your own imagination full the time being. Now, the
economic theory that blossomed past the nineteen seventies, which is
leoliberal economic structures have heavily embodied patriarchal values. They're about territory, hierarchy, acquisition, competition,

(06:08):
and combativeness. Look at Trump's moves on Canada, on Greenland, right,
look at Putin's incursion into the Ukraine. These are ideas
that are essentially of a feudal nature. They also contain

(06:33):
in them a sort of social Darwinism, okay, which is
not really acceptable. Social Darwinism lacks a certain rigor and
philosophical depth. So when we look at these values, they

(06:58):
fundamentally emphasize power, dominance, and relentless competition, and in that
embedded is relentless exploitation. How does that articulate Well, For
a start, it articulates because we see our natural resources

(07:18):
and other people from the standpoint of exploitation, and also
from a perspective of ownership rather than stewardship, So that
applies both to the material but the non material aspects.

(07:40):
I was always a bit suss when in the eighties
we started talking about human resources rather than employee relations. Now,
in the Good Men Great framework, I critically examined and
then challenge these patriarchal norms. You know, we promote values

(08:06):
that nurture emotional intelligence, empathy, cooperation and community, and above
all the ethics of interpersonal relationship and reflexivity. Now, my
belief is it's essential to question and understand how economic

(08:29):
systems influence and reflect the kind of masculinity we have
been cultivating and what we need to do to progress
in a healthier way, because what we're doing currently ain't healthy.
And there are some suggestions in lots of different areas
of the media and science and philosophy that human beings

(08:53):
are rushing to extinction. You know, part of that became
a thing through the Industrial Revolution, but it also is
now at a greater level due to the information technology
that submerged. The tech bros have gone overboard, and they

(09:16):
have fundamentally got a monopoly on wealth that's never been
seen before in the whole history of humanity. Bilon Musk,
particularly through his expansive reach into different industries and certainly
government subsidies, has cornered the wealth to a large degree

(09:43):
of the planet. Now, there could be some debate about that,
but let me stay with it. So today's prevalent neoliberal
economic practices bear a stronger resemblance to vane Iran's philosophy
is than any Christian teaching. Rand advocated for individualism, rational

(10:07):
self interest, and minimized altruism. Well, let me make a
couple of amendments there. Her idea about self interest is
not rational. Most self interest is not rational. If you
understand human psyche, a large amount by a large number

(10:29):
of human beings essentially a greedy and it appears that
the more wealth they have the greedier they become. This
started contrasts with the communal and altruistic values at the
core of Christian teachings, emphasizing community welfare, compassion, and mutual support. Again,

(10:52):
let me direct your attention to the United States, where
the Mega movement appears to have no ethics, no clear
values about community and about relationships, about altruism. Anyone who
even looks like making a stand in that department is

(11:14):
called woke, a derogatory term used by the right wing
for anybody who has any social conscience. So what are
the alternatives? These alternative models can move away from aggressive

(11:35):
competition and profit maximization, focusing instead on equitable resource distribution,
community empowerment, and long term sustainability. This shifts significantly and
reduces the psychological and emotional strain associated with neoliberal economic

(12:01):
fundamentally promoting a healthier social and individual state of well being.
So are there any practical applications? Of course there are,
So I want to draw your attention to a couple
of simple, actionable ways you can align yourself to those

(12:27):
economic practices that have values like proposed in making good
men great. So one way of doing it, as always,
is to dive inside and do essentially a values clarification exercise.
Reflect and write down your personal values regarding money, success, community,

(12:53):
and relationships. Evaluate how your financial decisions reflect these values. Now, interestingly,
in coaching and working with men, often businessmen, we continue
to impose a binary perspective on success. So what do

(13:19):
I mean by that, Well, there's two parts to it.
One is failure and the other one's success. Success by
and large is measured by the acquisition of status, territory,
the wealth that you can combine into your you know,

(13:40):
asset base like houses, real estate in general, all sorts
of stuff. Money essentially, that's highly valued in our society.
That you know, when I talk to most teenagers, when
I say to them, you know, what is it that
you'd really like to do in life? A lot of
them go, well, I want to have a lot of money,

(14:02):
you know. And when I sort of say why, well,
they sort of go, well that I buy the things
that I need and provide for my family. Some of
that's all good, right, But the problem with this is
our system stacked against them. And if you have any

(14:23):
questions about that, look at what happens to people who
come from disadvantage. Backgrounds. Very few of them reach the
sort of definitional success landscape that we talk about without
thinking about it. The other part to it is that failure.
You know, this intense, deep seated fear of failure for

(14:46):
a lot of people is very much about getting stuff wrong,
so they become risk adverse or if they're highly optimistic
and have a certain person reality type, they become extreme
risk taggers, so it can get really out of hand.

(15:07):
The second point that I want to really draw your
attention to is the whole idea of a community engagement,
become involved in cooperative businesses, local economic initiatives and or
eco friendly practices that reflect community value, sustainability and cooperation.

(15:28):
In the Australian outback, there are many, many, many small
towns that would have become ghost towns had the community
not pulled together and created exactly what we're talking about here,
cooperative business initiatives, local, keeping things local, so you know,

(15:54):
the whole infrastructure is about supporting the community from with
in yes and drawing people from the outside in as well.
Many of those communities are highly eco friendly. They focus
on sustainability long term. They're not just into exploitation. A

(16:16):
lot of those communities have had to go there because
mining shut down. Mining is temporary. The other part of
it is engaging open dialogue. And unfortunately, this is where
we're really in trouble because the whole notion of open
dialogue and I'm not going to use the term freedom

(16:37):
of speech because that's gotten hijacked. I'm talking about rational,
empathic open dialogue where we sit down to have conversations
with peers, with family, with community members about shifting how
we see economic practices and shifting them towards being more cooperative,

(17:03):
more sustainable and less exploitive. You know, take a look
and discuss the potential of personal collective benefits of these shifts.
As I said, take a look at a lot of
country towns in Australia. They are success stories in my book,
not because they're uber wealthy and gripping with Lamborghinis and

(17:26):
gold and you know, whatever tense story buildings. They live
a simpler, more sustainable life. You know, the reality is
that the planet cannot sustain eight billion people. We need
to think differently. So, yes, folks, as always, there is

(17:50):
a call to action and a closing reflection. A guy
called Tony Benn famously stated that true leaders should be
so posts guiding society towards sustainable and inclusive, inclusive principles,
not weather cocks that shift with the wind of convenience.

(18:13):
As men dedicated to both personal growth and social transformation,
our responsibility is clear. Advocate and embody economic values grounded
in those principles of empathy, reflexivity, fairness, community and cooperation,
and that in of itself, will support the feminist project.

(18:35):
Is Feminism is not the enemy. Feminism is simply about equity,
and we should never forget that. This week, take deliberate
steps to align your economic practices more closely with your

(18:55):
authentic self and the making good men great principles. Reflect
on and how your daily financial decisions impact not only
on your well being but the broader community environment. How
can you support a local business? Do we go to

(19:17):
the big mega superstores and buy stuff there or do
we stick with locally owned businesses, whether that be produced
or whether that be retail, in fashion, whatever it is. So.

(19:38):
On a closing note, again, let me thank you for
all those people who tune in to this podcast and
want to think about themselves, community, and the planet differently.
I want to thank you for joining me today and
in the weeks to come on Inspire Change. Let me

(20:00):
remind you that change begins with huus, So until next time,
continue to inspire meaningful change by leaving thoughtfully, compassionately and
authentically until next time. This is bea signing.

Speaker 4 (20:17):
Off greetings to all our listeners. This week's gratitude goes
out to those of you listening in Iceland. We welcome
you to the top ten global listeners list. Congratulations at
landing at number ten. You made it. We thank you
for tuning in and promoting positive social change. This makes

(20:37):
you a part of Gunter's efforts in transforming not only
men's lives, but lives in general, and we're grateful you
have joined us. I Devonna Prenzy, the co executive producer
and our showrunner Miranda Speidner's oppone sincerely thank you and
ask that you please take the time to like, follow, subscribe,
and share, as your efforts make a difference to everyone

(21:00):
here at Inspire Change with Glunter. Please remember, if you
want to share your story of social change, feel free
to reach out to the show directly. Please see the
show notes for our contact information. As always, thank you
to each and every one of our listeners, but most importantly,
please keep inspiring positive social change.

Speaker 1 (21:22):
Love to hear from you, and if you're interested, please
check out my work on www. Dot Gotoboda dot com
or www. Dot goodman Grete dot com.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
Thank you for listening to inspire change. A broadcast is
for us to educate, motivate, and empower men to challenge
traditions of masculinity. For more information on the making good
Men Great movement, or for individual or group coaching centships
with Gunter, visit goodmangrade dot com