Emotional Entropy: Coping with Psychological Strain in the Entropy Age

Host Leslie Poston of PsyberSpace introduces a five-episode series on the 'entropy age,' focusing on the psychological impact of living in an unstable world marked by late-stage capitalism, technological upheaval, and rising authoritarianism. This episode explores the concept of 'emotional entropy,' comparing it to physical entropy to describe the fraying of our inner lives. Key topics include existential anxiety, mortality, freedom, isolation, meaning, ontological insecurity, and anticipatory grief. Poston aims to validate the feelings of uncertainty and confusion that many experience, framing them as rational responses to current conditions rather than personal failures.

00:00 Introduction to the Entropy Age
01:01 Signs of a Fraying Future
02:04 Emotional Entropy Explained
04:50 Existential Psychology and Modern Life
07:12 Coping Mechanisms and Responses
08:56 Ontological Insecurity and Anticipatory Grief
11:56 Validating Emotional Reactions
13:43 Conclusion and Next Steps

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