Rob: I want to get a little bit more into these psychopaths and sociopaths who are billionaires, have you thought about this at all much and what are your thoughts on it?
CC: Well you know I think that there's a segment of the 1% that for whatever reason, some of them actually think, oh, if we limit government and cut taxes for the wealthy it will actually create prosperity for everyone. So they have a theory about how the economy works but they at some level believe that they think they're acting out of the common good. You know it's just, it's a different path to the common good. But there's a segment of this organized 1% that really actually are like who cares. Who cares about other people, who cares about poverty, who cares about 2 billion people in the world who don't have access to clean water and basic health care. You know like, not my problem. And that is, means, to have gotten to that places means that you sort of had to wall off your heart. You either have a theory that oh, those people get what they deserve and I get what I deserve and I deserve a lot because I'm virtuous and those people are losers. You know you need a theory that can explain away human suffering and, so you don't have to feel what that's like. But the reality is that there's a lot of people out there who feel what these inequalities are like and they're open hearted in some way and it breaks their heart. And they say oh my god, this is not good, I don't want to live in this kind of world. But then I think it's interesting to look at the socialization of the owning classes. I mean in England the owning classes often went to boys private schools where they were sort of systematically brutalized so that they would kind of, you know, they would be dehumanized so that they could become unhuman. There's lots of ways in which the socialization of owning classes wall you off, cut off your heart, disconnect you, prepare you for a life of disconnection so you can look at other people suffering and then turn away without feeling anything. So you know but the good news is there's a segment of the owning classes that are, I would call the open hearted wealthy. And we don't hear their stories as much and it's often times because they act quietly or anonymously they are rebelling against that psychological dynamic of disconnection.
Rob: That's a hopeful thing. Well I promised we'd keep this a half hour, we're right at about a half an hour now. This idea of disconnection is really interesting. You know I've been doing this show for about 8 years now. Bottom up radio, we're going with it I'm writing a book and I think that the key thing to be aware of is what I call connection consciousness, you've got to remember you're connected. You've got to be aware that you are connected to everybody and everything and you treat them as a part of you.
CC: That's brilliant. I look forward to you, for the conversation because I have this little TED talk that's going to come out in a couple weeks and I'll send you the link, it's called Wealthy Come Home. And it's basically saying look it's in everybody's interest for the wealthy to return from exile that the disconnection to come home, bring your wealth and your vulnerability and come back to local communities and put a stake in the working of the society for everybody. And it would be fun to have another conversation in a couple weeks about it.
Rob: I'd love to talk to you about it. Great conversation, thank you so much.
CC: Thanks Rob, carry on.
Rob: You too, bye.
CC: Bye.
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