Books
Most wisdom traditions agree that the interior self is composed of complex, dynamically intersecting facets or energies or voices. But how do we best conceive of and (more crucially) play with those aspects in a way that cultivates a singular feeling of some kind? Many versions of “parts work” abound in contemporary psychology, but Quite Broken posits that some artistic metaphors may serve to help us understand ourselves and maybe even be our better selves. What if we pursued the thought experiment that each of us is a band, with a distinct sound, composed of crucial players?
Of all the primary emotions, anger may be the most misconceived. Tragically, the misconceptions originate in a wish to tame it or expel it—but never drive it back, only sideways. Quite Broken explores the nature of anger, its skillful (and useful!) expression, and the structural conditions—in societies and relationships—that lead to its repression.
The thing people most know they need to do is work out. The thing most people want to do is have sex. Quite Broken offers a workout plan that blends these primal states, with stretches and exercises designed to augment proficiency and pleasure in the humpin’ & pumpin’. Along the way we explore the curious lessons that emerge, like for instance the relationship of erotic energies to health and vitality and emotional honesty, and the difference between static systems and dynamic systems. Most non-sports exercise is predicated on interacting with static objects like weights, but a dynamic systems approach to working out—where conditions are mutually created and changing—may lead us not just to fitter bodies but to a way of fitting our bodies with our actual lives.