Why Are Our Kids Killing Themselves?

0:00Over time, moss, mold, and mildew stains cover your home and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget the easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions, use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second-story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases? With the 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class-leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-3334-K here for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws, comparison space on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class according to Kia's segmentation as of October 2025.

1:00Over time, moss mold and mildew stains cover your home, and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget. The easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions, use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second-story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases? With a 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class-leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-3334-K here for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws, comparison space on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class according to Kia's segmentation as of October 2025.

2:02And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this, your first date? Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Need a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your leg anyways. Only pay for what you need at Liberty Mutual.com. There's a peculiar suffering that comes with awareness. A kind of exile that happens not when you leave the world, but when you begin to truly see it.

3:23Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-333-4K for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws, comparison space on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class according to Kia's segmentation as of October 2025. Here in Key West, we were out before it was in. In this open and inclusive paradise, you can be yourself, make new friends, and savor our live and let live vibe. With LGBTQ plus friendly accommodations, our legendary nightlife, and year-round activities and events, it's always a good time to come as you are. Key West, close to perfect, far from normal. You sit down to watch a movie everyone loves, and within minutes, you're analyzing the manipulation tactics, the propaganda, the tired formulas. You're at a party, and instead of enjoying the moment,

4:25you're observing the social performances, the masks, the desperate need for validation in every conversation. You used to enjoy these things. You remember when a movie was just a movie. When small talk was comfortable, when you could lose yourself in the moment without your mind dissecting every layer of what was really happening, but something changed, you woke up. And now, you can't go back to sleep. Today, we're exploring one of the most painful consequences of consciousness, the loss of simple pleasures. This isn't about being cynical or superior. This is about the genuine grief that comes, when awareness strips away the capacity for innocent enjoyment. Alan Watts once observed that the price of consciousness is the loss of unconsciousness. And with that loss comes something most people never talk about. You can't enjoy things the way you used to. Think about a child watching a magic show.

5:26Their eyes light up with wonder. They believe in the magic completely. Now, think about you watching that same show. You see the slight of hand. You recognize the misdirection. You appreciate the skill, perhaps, but the magic is gone. This is what happens to conscious people with almost everything in life. You can't watch the news without seeing the agenda behind every story. You can't scroll social media without recognizing the performance. The carefully curated highlights, the desperate need for external validation. You can't attend social gatherings without feeling the weight of all the unspoken truths. The polite lies, the surface level connections that everyone pretends are meaningful. The veil has been lifted. And your left standing in a world where everyone else still sees magic, while you only see the mechanics. This creates a profound loneliness. Not the loneliness of being physically alone,

6:28but the loneliness of being awake in a world that's sleeping. You're surrounded by people, yet you feel completely isolated. Because you're experiencing a different reality than everyone around you. They're immersed in the movie. You're watching both the movie and the audience watching the movie. They're dancing. You're observing the dance and wondering why everyone agreed to pretend this matters. And here's what makes this particularly painful. You can't explain this to people without sounding arrogant or depressed. If you try to share what you see, you become the problem. You're the one ruining the fun. You're too negative, too critical, too intense. So you learn to stay quiet, too not along, to perform enjoyment while feeling nothing, but a hollow awareness of the performance itself. What spoke often about the nature of the game we're all playing? He suggested that life is a grand play. And we're all actors who've forgotten we're acting.

7:28The tragedy of consciousness is that you remember you're in a play while everyone else remains blissfully immersed in their roles. You see the stage, the props, the scripts, everyone's following. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. Let's be specific about what you've lost. You've lost the ability to watch television without seeing the programming. Every commercial is transparent manipulation. Every show follows predictable formulas designed to keep you passive and consuming. You've lost the ability to participate in casual conversation without hearing the subtext, the insecurities, the ego defending itself in every statement. You've lost the ability to celebrate holidays without recognizing the commercial machinery driving it all. You've lost the ability to feel genuine excitement about achievements that society tells you matter. Because you've seen through the arbitrary nature of these measurements,

8:31you've lost the ability to believe in the stories everyone else believes in. The story that working hard guarantees success. The story that following the rules leads to happiness. The story that romantic love solves loneliness. The story that buying things fills the void. The story that status and recognition provide lasting fulfillment. These narratives that keep most people motivated have become transparent to you. And without them, you're left wondering what the point of any of it is. This is where many conscious people get stuck. They oscillate between two painful positions. Either they force themselves to participate in things they no longer find meaningful, wearing a mask of enthusiasm while dying inside, or they withdraw completely, becoming isolated and bitter. Unable to connect with anyone because no one else seems to see what they see. Both positions are exhausting. Both positions are forms of suffering. But here's what Watts understood that most people miss.

9:32The problem isn't that you've become conscious. The problem is that you're using your consciousness as a weapon against life instead of as a tool for deeper participation. You're standing at a distance, analyzing and judging, rather than recognizing that your awareness itself is part of the play. Welcome to Wednesday, folks. A midway through the week, right? And we're plugging our way to try to get through the week and try to get through the month. March, which has been unceremoniously difficult for many people and continues to provide challenge after challenge after challenge. But that's all been foretold and forecasted right on this very show and on Hotwire. The top tier of this show. So welcome back and it's Wednesday and we're going to do some a little bit different today. And if I can't finish this show, I'm just going to go to Voice to Text because I wrote a lot of stuff out and I want to talk about it.

10:38Started the day off is about as rough as you can start the day off. It's a good friend of mine, fraternity brother up here contacted me and said his son had passed away. And his son's in his mid-20s, like the young bucks, so many young bucks that we all have access to and trying to raise and brought into this world 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 22 years ago. It is young bucks and young doze, I should say as well. And that he took his own life. And I just spent some time with this character, a fantastic kid in so many ways. A few weeks back my son was back in town from Nashville and he played it up in a vent here. And this friend of mine, she's going to go back so far.

11:42Fraternity days, it seems like another lifetime. It is another lifetime. Well, you know, before you were fathers when you were younger than our own kids rocking and rolling, so it is another lifetime. We have so many different lifetimes packed into this life. And when you add them all up, boy, sometimes those vignettes can turn on a dime, flip on a dime, just when you're expecting it the least. So I did a lot of thinking today. What is the story with this massive amount of youth suicide? Now there's so many different things I'm talking about. I'm not going with video because I want to focus on it.

12:44But we'll have some kind of video we'll play and some other, we have a couple of bumpers. The upfront bumper you already listened to and we have a bumper on the end of the show as well, as long as. And some other stuff, some music, etc. I started digging into this. What is going on today? The American Dream, right? Yesterday's show on the public side. I think I named it. And I just put it out a few hours ago. I actually put it out early Wednesday morning. I didn't get around to it. I was tied up all day. As you can imagine, I named it the great train robbery in the heist of the American dream. Now I named it that before today. But boy, talk about a prophecy on its own. Because that's what I'm going to talk about today. Anyway, I don't even know if I finished my thought.

13:46A few weeks ago, the sun was back and he played it in a vent. And this guy was there with his father. I think I already said that. I'm not sure. I just want to cover it in case I didn't. I'll get a great time. The whole crew here. A great time with those folks. And you know, everything seemed pretty good. You never can't tell, though. The kid's battling a lot of different things these days. We've talked about these themes for so long on here. It's not new. But stuff really hits home. You know, when it hits home, so to speak. The question is why is this happening? Why is it so prevalent now with the young books and the young doves or youngsters? Why do they feel the need to leave this earth as opposed to younger generations? Not younger generations today, but generations that are 80s, 70s, etc.

14:4890s. What has changed? Well, so much has changed. And I try to cover the sum of that today. I've been trying to record this for a while. And I thought if I waited until, you know, one, two in the morning, I'd be more mellow. But I'm not really, we're mellow about it. So probably going to change over to AI. But don't worry. We've cloned my voice in AI. And we'll cover stuff. Otherwise, I'll be sitting here all night doing piece of meal. And then I'll be exhausted, etc. I mean, fuck, you know, it is. You have one of those days. Everything hits you. One thing after another, you know, as you get hit with this and then all through the day, it's like, well, what else could they pile on? And as the day goes on, you find out, well, it's more like what else didn't they pile on? But I set out thinking a lot about this.

15:50And, well, I don't know if I have answers or not, but we're going to take a shot at it. The main question being, somewhat twofold, I guess, let's see. How have kids been misled or lied to? About the American dream has been stolen from them. And some subcategory, so to speak, including how have older generations in the United States contributed to this, including my generation, Gen X. We're going to examine that. This is the topic. There really could be its entire own podcast session after session, episode after episode to perpetuity. But so we're going to try to tackle as much as we can

16:53in a one fell swoop. And the conclusion I came to is that we have failed these kids. I say, we, I mean, the older generations. One way or another, whether it's just hustling for money all the time and trying to make ends meet 24, 7365 to provide for our crews, so to speak. Sometimes things get lost through the cracks. This young man, fantastic young man was a military veteran. What happened in the military? What has happened in the military? What has happened with young veterans when they get out PTSD, etc. Not getting the support that they should have. It's kind of being tossed to the side. Well, hey, you can't cut it in the military, etc. Or you had problems in the military or you weren't our

17:53poster boy, etc. So kind of brush you aside. We don't really have a way to fix you. So once you're discharged, why would anybody think that we have a way to fix you then? We couldn't fix you when you're in the military, etc. What happens in the military? But it's going on. So many, seems like so many of these enlisted folks get ground up, you know, like a combine. Some of the ones who can't cut it, so to speak, are they just better at hiding it than others? They get ground up and they never come back. When they come back and they're reintroduced to civilian life, nothing's the same. So what is going on here? Let's get into this and I have to go to my, hey, I boy, some Tony, I would never make it through this tonight. On top of that, my brain is like a Friday.

18:54I know you've had had days like that. And also, I recognize that although not directly, I don't think myself, my generation, all of us really played a role in letting these kids down. When I say we, I mean the collective, I mean as a country, the adults, when necessarily me and you and me, but as a collective, we have to take responsibility for not being there and no. And repeatedly using our votes and and to elect these maniacs. Time after time again, they just continue to lie to us and we continue to eat it up. No, we expect surprise when they let us down. They all let us down. Should have known that a long time ago. Perhaps we just don't want to admit that it is hard to admit it. You know, we talked about it on here so many times.

19:57But it definitely plays a role somehow. These kids getting just destroyed. These kids deciding it's now worth the journey. At a young juncture, 20s is so young. Of course, you can add in the jabs and pharmaceuticals and drugs, antidepressants, anti-anxiety, etc. We'll talk about some of that tonight, but some of the ideas we came up with and some of the reasons I think it's happening. Folks can use the show forum to discuss it further. And then we'll see how things go tomorrow on Thursday. Have a show to do Thursday, I think, depending on when services are and everything. And I'm trying to put things together for

20:57for that family as well as much as we can from our side to do different things. And pull different strings. You know, on short notice. It's just been crazy day and kind of day you don't want. And I've had a couple. This is a third fraternity brother who has joined this this club, so to speak, of losing a child. And I mean, you know, growing up, I don't remember anybody who passed away like a teenager or in their 20s, like who took their own life. I don't even remember one person ever. I, you know, your experience might be different, but something's going on here. And I don't think it's going to get any better. You know, I looked at the numbers too. You'll hear the numbers. It's it's not going to get better. And we've got to keep an eye on

21:59on the youth, especially the ones in your clan. Maybe this will serve as a wake-up call. I don't know. But let's get into it. Rock and roll. Thanks for being here. Now, when you listen to this, right? We used rock. We used our own research and we combine these different things. We put them all kind of in one big soup. Some of it is debatable because, and I wanted to put it in there because the AI basically says, oh, this party is not responsible or this party is not responsible. It's just kind of the way it is. It just shows you the massive divide between between reality and this artificial intelligence. Well, it doesn't take into account that somebody is responsible for it. And it says, that's just the way the system is. The system is this way. It's not

23:01the fault of any one generation, so to speak. Well, it certainly is. This is my editorializing, right? You can do your own editorializing. We can discuss it on pain.tv. So, some of this you might agree with, some of it you might not agree with. Now, people say, well, what's going on here today? Well, you know what? I've always been a subscriber my whole life to showing up is half the battle. And that means just simply committing to something. Like, we're going to do a show, we're going to overcome whatever the obstacles of the day or, you know, whatever problems we've had during the day. The goal is to do a show and get information out. That's the goal. And so that's why we're working toward here today.

24:02It's not perfect. I understand that. But I have to be honest with you, AI does a better job reading than I do. And it actually took, by the time it's over, it's going to take longer to put this thing together because we have to sit there and go over all the AI and the text and make up for mistakes. And there'll be a couple little mistakes. I'll let go, you know, because it's three or four in the morning just so. It's showing up certainly is half the battle. And there's a whole philosophy behind that. Perhaps we can talk about it some other time. Regardless of what's going on here, your mindset. For me, that's how you, even when you're unmotivated, showing up at work, showing up. It helps build discipline and it contributes to long-term success.

25:06Over time, Moss, Muldin, Nildew, Stayans cover your home. And cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget. The easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions, use wet and forget outdoor spaces. No scrubbing. No rinsing. Just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second story, siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases? With a 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call it 800-3334. Kia for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. Compare since based on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class according to Kia's segmentation as of October 2025.

26:06Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary. VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law. CT and C's. 21 plus sponsored by Chamba Casino. It's even on the toughest of days. And this was one of them. So you might not agree with everything that's about to unfold. And I'm putting that out there because neither do I. But nonetheless, we are showing up. So take care and God bless you. The American Dream classically defined as the idea that hard work, education and determination will lead to a stable middle-class life, home ownership, financial security, a family, and a better future for your kids than you had, has been sold to younger Americans,

27:07millennials in Gen Z under approximately 45 today, through schools, media, politicians, parents, and culture as still fully attainable. In reality, structural economic shifts since roughly the 1980s have made the traditional version significantly harder for most creating a gap that feels like a lie or broken promise to many. This isn't usually malicious deception by boomers as a monolith, but a combination of outdated narratives, selective storytelling, and failure to update expectations amid changing data. Here's how kids have been misled backed by trends. One, work hard, go to college and you'll get ahead. But returns have diminished. While costs, exploded kids are repeatedly told, get a degree in doors open to good jobs, higher earnings, and the good life.

28:08This worked better for boomers and earlier cohorts when public universities were heavily subsidized, tuition was a fraction of today's levels. In real terms, college costs have more than tripled since the 1980s for many public schools, and a bachelor's often guaranteed solid entry level pay. For millennials in Gen Z, student debt burdens are far higher, average approximately $23,000 to $30,000, plus per borrower for many, with total loads delaying other milestones. Wage growth for young workers hasn't kept pace with those costs. Real earnings for 25 to 34-year-olds have been relatively flat, or only modestly improved compared to prior generations at the same age once adjusted for the debt and housing premiums. Many degree holders end up in jobs that don't require the credential

29:11or pay enough to offset it quickly. The result only about 30% of young Americans today believe they'll be better off financially than their parents. Poll show 51 to 61% of under 30s or Gen Z say the dream is out-or-reach or no longer guaranteed by hard work. Intergenerational absolute mobility, kids earn in more than their parents did at the same age, drop sharply from approximately 92% for those born in 1940 to around 50% for the 1980 cohort. Relative mobility, moving up the income ladder or regardless of parents, has been more stable but low by international standards. And the consequences of being born to lower income parents are larger now due to rising inequality since approximately 1980.

30:172. You can own a home if you work hard. The ladder was pulled up. Home ownership was long. The cornerstone symbol of the dream. Older generations bought homes at younger ages when median prices were approximately 3 to 3.5 times income. Today it's often 5 times plus in many areas with rents and prices rising faster than wages for decades. At age 28, boomers had approximately 44% home ownership. Gen Z today is around 38%. median first time buyer age has climbed to approximately 38 to 40. Boomers and older cohorts own a disproportionate share of housing stock and often larger slash multiple properties, while younger buyers face higher, relative debt service and supply constraints. Young people are told just save and buy, but many delay marriage kids or even pets.

31:17Because housing affordability blocks those steps. 71% of aspiring homeowners report delaying life decisions. Some polls show Gen Z and millennials redefining to the dream away from ownership toward debt freedom or stability with 60% plus, saying it's difficult or impossible personally. 3. America rewards. Merit and effort, anyone can rise. The meritocratic version, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, is heavily promoted in education and pop culture. Yet data shows the birth lottery, parents' income matters more today in terms of outcomes because inequality amplified the stakes, even if rank-based mobility rates haven't collapsed entirely. polls capture the disillusionment. Many young adults say hard work is no guarantee of success, higher share under 45 than older groups. They see stagnant real wages relative to essentials, gig, economy, precarity in some sectors, and health care slash insurance

32:22costs as barriers that older narratives downplay. Social media exacerbates this. Constant exposure to luxury lifestyles or hustle porn creates unrealistic benchmarks while economic reality, higher personal debt loads for Gen Z averaging higher than millennials in some reports. It's hard. Yet traditional messaging from schools, politicians across ills, and family often sticks to the optimistic script without fully addressing the post-1980 shifts in inequality and costs. nuances it's not dead for everyone and the dream has evolved. Not a total lie. Many under 40s are doing okay or better in absolute terms on some metrics. Tech access, global opportunities, entrepreneurship ease, via digital tools. Wealth for under 40s has risen in recent years partly due to markets and parental transfers nearly 50% of some young adults still get financial help

33:25from parents. A majority, 53 to 73% in various polls, still say the dream is important or possible in some form. They're just redefining it around personal fulfillment, mental health, flexibility, work-life balance, or stability rather than the white-picket fence ideal. Winners exist high skill fields, dual incomes, relocation to affordable areas or inheritance still enable the classic path for some. Intragenerational inequality is huge, not every young person is equally robbed. Cultural lag, parents and institutions often recount their own easier entry, cheaper college, slash housing in the 1970s, the 90s, without adjusting for the new baseline. Politicians on both sides invoke the dream rhetorically while policies zoning, entitlement sustainability, education costs, haven't fully adapted. Bottom line,

34:26kids haven't been lied to in the sense of a grand conspiracy, but they've been fed and outdated one-size-fits-all narrative that over-promises continuity with mid 20th century conditions. The post-1980 rise in inequality, asset inflation, especially housing, education costs decoupling and slower broad-based wage gains for non-elite paths created a steeper climb. Many under 30s now view the classic dream as a scam or distant luxury leading to delayed milestones lower optimism, approximately only 13 to 30 percent think the country is on the right track or they'll outperform parents and redefinition toward survival and well-being over material ascent. This gap-fuel cynicism but data also shows resilience. Younger cohorts prioritize different markers and leverage new tools.

35:27Remote work, side hustles. The lie is less about malice and more about inertia, society has an updated the story or fixed the incentives, e.g. more housing supply, sustainable entitlements, cost controls, fast enough. The dream is in dead, it's harder, narrower, and being rewritten in real time. An analytical view. Generational economic divergence in the US, not cheating or robbery, but policy and market dynamics that tilted the field, the perception that older generations, primarily baby boomers, born 1946 to 1964, have cheated or robbed Americans under 30, millennials born 1981 to 1996, and Gen Z born 1997 to 2012 is widespread.

36:28Stems from visible gaps in wealth, housing access, education costs, and fiscal burdens. This isn't a conspiracy of deliberate theft by individuals. Most boomers weren't scheming in smoke-filled rooms. But the cumulative result of economic luck, demographic shifts, and policy choices that protected asset values for those already in the system while raising entry barriers for newcomers. Data from Federal Reserve, Pew Research, and other sources show a historically large intergenerational wealth divide, but it's uneven, concentrated among wealthier boomers, and partly reversible through inheritance and reform. Here's a breakdown grounded in evidence. One, wealth concentration, boomers, hold the lion's share, younger cohorts lag. Dramatically in Q1 2025, baby boomers controlled roughly 51 to 54 percent of total US household wealth,

37:29about 83 to 85 trillion dollars out of 163 to 167 trillion dollars. Despite comprising only, about 20 percent of the population, Gen X holds 26 percent while millennials and Gen Z combined hold just 10 to 11 percent, 17 trillion dollars, even though they are the largest generational cohorts by population. This isn't normal life cycle progression. Older people naturally have more savings. Adjusted for age, boomers today are far wealthier than prior older generations at the same life stage, median boomer household wealth, and their late 50s to 70s reached approximately $432,000, $2024, versus approximately $336,000 for the silent generation, and approximately $185,000 for the greatest generation. The gap has widened since the 1980s,

38:34due to bigger gains in home ownership and stock ownership for older cohorts. Younger Americans face headwinds, wage growth has been more over time. Moss molten mildew stains cover your home and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget the easy bleach free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases? With a 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-3334 Kia for details.

39:36Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. Comparisons based on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class, according to Kia segmentation as a October 2025. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to ChambaCasino.com, let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus sponsored by Chamba Casino. Relative to asset inflation. And they entered the workforce amid the 2008 crisis. Gig economy shifts and automation. Boomers benefited from post-World War II, productivity booms, stable unions, and rising asset prices. Top 10% of boomers hold 71% of their generation's wealth. So it's not every retiree robbing every young person. Inequality within generations matters too. Two, housing the ladder was pulled up. Housing is the clearest structural shift. In 1985, the median home price to income ratio was 3.5 times. By 2025, it's approximately 5.0 times,

40:45or 5.6 times in recent peaks. Media and home prices rose approximately 403% since 1985, while median household incomes rose approximately 252%. A typical 1980s buyer faced lower absolute barriers. Today's median home, $417,000 requires 5 times income, $83,000, and buyers need approximately $112,000 household income to afford it comfortably. Boomers bought in an era of cheaper homes, relative to wages, lower zoning restrictions, and declining interest rates through the 1980s to 90s. Many now sit on large homes, boomers own approximately 3 in 10 of the nation's biggest homes, often as empty nesters. Contributing to supply shortages via NIMBY-YISM, not in my backyard opposition, to new development, home ownership rates for 28-year-olds,

41:47approximately 44% for boomers at that age, approximately 43% for Gen X, but only approximately 38% for older Gen Z. This isn't cheating. It's path dependence, policies favoring existing homeowners, tax breaks, restrictive zoning, compounded over decades, locking in gains for those who entered early, while pricing out later ones. Mortgage payments now eat approximately 31% of median income, versus approximately 15% in the early 1980s, despite lower rates today. Three, education tuition exploded, while return stagnated for many college costs have decoupled from wages since 1980. Tuition and fees, inflation adjusted, rose approximately 169% or more. While earnings for young workers, 22-27, grew just approximately 19%. Public four-year tuition has

42:49more than tripled since the 1960s in real terms. One year now costs what took a much smaller share of starting salaries decades ago. Boomers and earlier cohorts, attended more affordable public universities, heavily state subsidized then. Today's graduates carry massive student debt, delaying homebuying, marriage, and wealth building. Wages for degree holders have grown modestly, approximately 5% real terms 2000 to 2020, but not enough to offset the 59%, plus rise in net college costs over that period. This created a debt trap for under 30s without the same public investment. Their parents' generation received four entitlements and debt, pay-as-you-go systems, and fiscal, kicking the can, social security, and Medicare are classic intergenerational transfers. They are largely pay-as-you-go, current workers' taxes, fund current retirees.

43:52The worker-to-beneficiary year ratio has fallen from 5.1 in 1960 to approximately 3.3 today, and is projected to hit approximately 2.1 by 2040 due to boomer retirement and lower fertility. Trust funds face depletion risks, social security approximately 2030s without changes, meaning younger payers may see benefit cuts or tax hikes while getting less in return. Baby Boomers and older cohorts like the silent generation continue to dominate U.S. political power, not primarily through some coordinated refusal to seed it, but due to structural, demographic, economic, and behavioral realities of the American political system. As of the 119th Congress, 2025 to 2026, the median age is about 57 to 58 in the House and 64 to 65 in the Senate, among the oldest in U.S. history, though slightly younger than recent peaks.

45:00Boomers still hold a majority in the Senate, 60 to 61 percent, but have slipped a second place in the House, 39 percent, where Gen X now leads at approximately 41 percent. A handful of millennials and even one Gen Z member, representative Maxwell Frost, have entered, but the top leadership and long tenured members remain disproportionately older. One, older voters turn out at much higher rates. Voter turnout rises sharply with age and recent presidential elections turn out for those 65 plus routinely exceed 70 percent, while for 18 to 29 it hovers in the 40 to 55 percent range, even in high engagement years like 2020 slash 2024. Older Americans, disproportionately boomers and silence are simply more reliable participants in primaries and generals. Politicians respond to the electorate that actually shows up. Younger voters are less consistent, more mobile, and often

46:08disillusioned with the system reducing their leverage. This creates a feedback loop. Policies in candidates cater to older priorities, social security solvency, Medicare, property taxes, retirement security, which further entrenched turnout gaps. Two, massive incumbency. Advantage once in office members of Congress win re-election at extraordinarily high rates, often 85 to 95 percent plus for House incumbents and 80 percent plus for senators who run. This isn't new, but it has intensified. Incumbents benefit from name recognition, franking privileges, free mail, pork barrel spending, superior fundraising, donors prefer proven winners, gerrymandered safe districts. Many long serving boomers and older members have built decades of these advantages. Open seats are rare and when they occur, younger candidates have a better shot. But most seats aren't open. This locks in the status quo far more than any

47:15generational conspiracy. Three, experience networks and resources favor, those who entered earlier. Running for Congress is expensive and time intensive. It requires established donor networks, professional credentials, time to build a record boomers, entered politics in the workforce during an era of stronger economic mobility for their cohort. They accumulated wealth, connections and resumes over 40 to 50 plus years, younger candidates often face higher student debt, delayed wealth building, and family slash career trade-offs that make a low paid campaign run riskier. Voters also tend to reward proven experience over youthful energy and high stakes roles. Wealth concentration plays a role too. Older Americans, 70 plus now control about one third of US net worth and a huge share of stocks, slash funds. Political

48:18fundraising draws heavily from affluent older donors who have more disposable income and skin in the game on issues like capital gains, estates and entitlements. Four, demographics and life cycle boomers were the largest generation for decades, so they naturally filled institutions as they aged. Political careers have a long timelines many don't peak until their 50s to 70s. The Constitution sets minimum ages 25 for a house, 30 for senate, but there's no upper limit and term limits don't exist at the federal level, unlike some states or other countries parliamentary systems which allow parties to rotate leadership more easily. Cultural and psychological factors matter, many long-serving politicians derive identity and purpose from their roles. Retirement can feel like irrelevance, especially for high achievers. This isn't unique to boomers, it's human,

49:18but their size and timing amplified it. Five, it's not pure boomer or monopoly anymore, but change is slow gen X is now the largest group in the house and millennials are gaining 15% plus in the house. The Senate lags because of longer terms, six years and higher barriers. Presidential races still feature older front runners because primaries reward name ID and funding which accumulate over time. Yet the overall Congress is slowly diversifying generationally as boomers retire or die in office. Younger generations also bear some responsibility, lower, consistent engagement, fragmented attention, social media versus traditional organizing, and intra-generational divides, not all under 40s agree on priorities. Dilute their collective power. Bottom line, incentives, not malice. Boomers aren't refusing to step aside on mass because

50:21the system rewards staying in power. High turnout among seniors and competency protections, fundraising realities, and the sheer time required to climb the ladder creates strong headwinds for rapid generational turnover. This isn't unique to the U.S. Many democracies see older leadership. The result can feel like a gerontocracy disconnected from younger realities, housing costs, debt, climate, tech. Over time, moss mold and mildew stains cover your home, and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget, the easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second-story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases?

51:24With the 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class-leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-333-4K for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws, comparison space on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the subcompact SUV class according to Kia's segmentation as of October 2025. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chumba by my side. Race to ChumbaCasino.com. Let's Chumba. No purchase necessary. VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus sponsored by Chumba Casino. Disruption. Solutions would require structural changes, easier voting access and youth mobilization to close turnout gaps, campaign finance reform, term limits, controversial but discussed, or party mechanisms to encourage succession. Blaming boomers personally overlooks how voters, donors, and institutions sustain the pattern, power shifts when demographics, behavior, and rules align,

52:29not through voluntary surrender. Younger cohorts are gradually entering. The pace depends on whether they vote and organize like the generations before them. Here's a clear data-driven overview of suicide rates for young Americans, focusing on 20-somethings. Roughly ages 20-29, often grouped as 15-24 or 20-24 in official stats. And younger teens and preteens for example, 10-19 or 10-14, all figures are deaths by suicide per 100,000 population sourced primarily from CDC National Vital Statistics System and VSS-WISQARS data. Key trends summary US ages 10-24, overall. Long-term rise, suicide rates for young people 10-24 were relatively stable or low in the

53:29early 2000s, then rose sharply starting around 2007-2008. 2001-2007, roughly stable at approximately 6.8 per 100,000. By 20, 21 rose 62% to 11.0 per 100,000. This made suicide the second leading cause of death for ages 10-14, 15-24, and 25-34. In recent years, 2023 data. Last 10 years, approximately 20-14-2024. Rates continued to climb for most of this period with some recent stabilization or modest declines in 2023-2024, especially post-COVID peak. Age is 18-25, closest to 20-somethings and young adults. 2014-13.4 per 100,000,

54:3020-24, 15.7 per 100,000, plus 17% increase over the decade. Age is 15-24, broader youth group, rose steadily through the 2010s and early 2020s. 2023 crude rate, 13.5 per 100,000, males much higher at approximately 21.2, females approximately 5.5, slight decline in 2023 versus 2022, minus 0.66% for 15-24, and further declines in 2024. For ages 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24, driven mainly by drops, among boys slash young men. Age is 10-19, slash 10-24, significant increases overall in the 2010s with a COVID-Area peak around 2021. Followed by declines in 2024. Last 20 years, approximately 2004-2024,

55:35the increase is even more pronounced over two decades. Age is 10-24. Early 2000s, around 2007, approximately 6.8 per 100,000, 2021, 11.0 per 100,000, plus 62% from 2007 baseline. Rates roughly doubled in many subgroups from the mid-2000s lows. 20-24 specifically, this subgroup drove much of the youth increase. Rates in the 20-24 bracket have been notably higher than younger teens and showed strong upward trends from approximately 2007 onward with the largest share of youth suicide deaths, often falling in the early to mid-20s. Preteens 8-12 or 10-14. Rates were very low but rose significantly after 2007-2008, for example, overall from approximately 3.34 to 5.71 per 1 million in some analyses with

56:44sharper rises among girls and certain racial slash ethnic groups. Important context and nuances. Gender gap, males consistently have rates three to four times higher than females in these age groups, for example approximately 21.2 versus 5.5 for 15-24 in recent data. However, females saw a faster percentage increases in some periods, especially attempts and certain methods like hanging or poisoning. Racial ethnic differences increases have been steepest among black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Asian slash Pacific Islander youth in recent years. White youth rates rose too but were sometimes more stable. Methods, firearms hanging and poisoning all increased. Firearms suicides rose sharply after 2007 in many youth subgroups. Recent EDIP 20-23-2024 data show modest overall declines or stabilization for youth

57:53and slight national drop to approximately 13.7 to 14.1 per 100,000, offering some cautious optimism but rates remain far above 2,000 levels. Attempts versus deaths, deaths are only the tip, surveys, for example, youth risk behavior survey show much higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts one in four high schools reported serious thoughts in some years. These trends reflect real increases in completed suicides among 20 somethings and younger Americans over the past 10 to 20 years, especially from the late 2000s through the early 2020s. While the last couple of years hint at possible turning points, particularly for younger males, the long-term trajectory has been upward and concerning. Factors discussed in broader research include mental health access, social media, economic pressures, family disruption, and method availability,

58:55but no single cause explains it all. If you're looking for prevention resources, the 98-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24-7. Data can shift with final revisions, so CDC, risk errors, or NIMH sites are best for the absolute latest breakdowns. The sharp rise in suicide rates among 20 somethings, roughly ages 20 to 24 or 15 to 24, and younger Americans, teens and preteens, since the late 2000s is a complex multi-factorial public health issue. No single cause explains it fully. Suicide results from interactions between individual vulnerabilities, social changes, and environmental factors. Research from the CDC NIMH, N-B-E-R, and other sources points to several overlapping drivers that intensified around 2007 to 2010, and continue through the early 2020s with a COVID-19 exacerbation followed by

1:00:02modest recent stabilization or declines in some youth metrics. One, sharp rise in depression and mental health disorders, the increase in completed suicides among youth closely tracks, a dramatic rise in depression in related conditions, nearly all of the post-2010 rise in youth suicide mortality can be statistically linked to higher prevalence of depression among adolescents and young adults. Depressive symptoms among adolescents roughly doubled from approximately 8% in 2009 to approximately 16% in 2019. Emergency department visits for mental health crises, including suicidal ideation and attempts surged, especially among girls. Untreated or under-treated depression remains a core risk factor, about 60% of youth with major depression received no treatment. This wave of poor mental health predates the pandemic,

1:01:06but worsened during it due to isolation, school disruptions, and family stress. Two, smartphones, social media, and reduced in-person socializing. This is one of the most cited and temporally aligned explanations, Gen Z and late millennials, where the first generation to spend their entire adolescence with smartphones and social media. Frequent social media use reported by approximately 77% of high schoolers, as several times a day correlates with higher rates of bullying, both in-person and cyber, persistent sadness, slash hopelessness, and suicidal ideations, slash plans. Times spent with friends and persons over time, most molded mildew stains cover your home, and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget the easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job?

1:02:12Reach second-story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Before you begin your road trip, ask yourself, do you really need five full suitcases? With the 2026 Kia Sportage X Pro's class-leading cargo space, you'll have room for what you need. Find out more at your local Kia dealer today. Keep the adventure going. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-333-34K for details. Always drive safely and obey all traffic laws. Comparisons based on second-row legroom and cargo space behind second-row seats in the sub-compact SUV class according to Kia segmentation as of October 2025. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate with Jamba. Jump in at JambaCasino.com. Let's Jamba. No purchase necessary, BTW Group, voidware prohibited by mall, CCNC, 21 Plus, sponsored by JambaCasino. Dropped dramatically, less than half as much as two decades ago. Mechanisms include social

1:03:12comparison, FOMO, cyberbullying, sleep disruption and displacement of real-world relationships. Studies observational and some quasi-experimental link heavier use to worse mental health outcomes with stronger effects and girls. The timing matches. Major platforms exploded in the late 2000s to early 2010s coinciding with the suicide uptick starting approximately 2007. 3. Access to lethal means, especially firearms, or the leading method of youth suicide in highly lethal, little room for intervention. Firearms suicides among youth rose significantly after 2007, contributing to the overall increase. Easier household access, including surges and gun ownership during the pandemic plays a role. Rural areas and certain demographics show higher firearm involvement. Other methods hanging poisoning also increased, but firearms drive much of

1:04:14the death rate. 4. broader societal and economic pressures. Economic insecurity and dashed expectations. Many young people face higher costs for housing, education and basics relative to wages, as discussed in prior generational analyses. Financial stress, student debt, and perceived lack of the American dream contribute to hopelessness, especially post-great recession and amid inflation. School and performance pressure, academic stress, standardized testing culture, and for some, school shooting slash violence, fears add chronic strain. Suicides often peak during school months. Social isolation and loneliness exacerbated by pandemic lockdowns, but building for years due to digital shifts. Discrimination and marginalization faster rises among black, Hispanic, American Indian slash Alaska Native, Asian slash Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ plus youth

1:05:19link to racism, bullying, stigma, a cultured stress, and limited culturally appropriate care. Substance use and opioids intertwined in some cases, though more prominent in older groups. 5. other contributing or amplifying factors. Media contagion effects, for example, certain shows or viral stories linked to short-term spikes. Reduced stigma around reporting suicides versus accidental deaths may inflate recorded rates somewhat. Declining protective factors weaker family slash community ties. Less religious participation in some groups. Why not one? Simple answer. Suicide risk is rarely caused by a single event. Underlying mental health vulnerabilities plus acute stressors plus means availability create the lethal combination. The post 2007 rise hit during a period of rapid technological change, economic turbulence, and shifting social

1:06:22norms. Disproportionate impacts on certain subgroups. For example, faster rises among black youth or girls and attempts. Highlight inequities in access to care, support, and resources. Recent trends offer cautious hope after peaking around 2021 youth suicide rates and ideation slash attempts in surveys showed modest declines or stabilization in 2023 to 2024, especially among boys slash young men and some racial groups. Recent trends offer cautious hope after peaking around 2021 youth suicide rates and ideation slash attempts in surveys showed modest declines or stabilization in 2023 to 2024, especially among boys slash young men and some racial groups. Possible contributors increased awareness 988 lifeline rollout, more teen seeking help,

1:07:26or post pandemic recovery and social connections. However, rates remained far above 2000s levels and firearm suicides stayed high. Bottom line, the increase stems primarily from a mental health crisis, rising depression, slash anxiety, amplified by smartphones slash social media, disrupting adolescent development combined with easier access to lethal means and broader pressures, like economic anxiety and isolation. These aren't mutually exclusive, they interact. Prevention requires multi-level action, better mental health access, safer digital environments, responsible media portrayals, secure firearm storage, and addressing root stressors like inequality and disconnection. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline is available 24-7, call slash text slash chat. Early intervention strong relationships and

1:08:31limiting harmful social media exposure can make a real difference. Data continues to evolve but the trends underscore the need for urgent evidence-based responses rather than simplistic blame. Why is veteran suicide such an epidemic? Veteran suicide remains a serious and persistent issue in the United States. According to the VA's 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual report covering data through 2023, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, can yes an average of about 17.5 per day. This is slightly down from 6442 in 2022 but the suicide rate rose to 35.2 per 100,000 veterans of PT from 34.7 in 2022. For comparison, the non-veteran adult rate was 16.9 per 100,000, meaning veterans died by

1:09:38suicide at roughly twice the rate of non-veteran age and sex-adjusted comparisons show veterans consistently 1.5 to 2 plus times higher since 2001 more than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide. Exceeding total U.S. combat deaths in all wars since Vietnam, the rate has trended upward overall since the mid-2000s though with some recent modest stabilization or small declines in total deaths amid a shrinking veteran population. Why is veteran suicide so prevalent? No single factor explains it. Suicide is almost always the result of multiple overlapping risks and veterans face a unique combination of service-related transition and post-service challenges that amplify general population risks. Key contributors drawn from VA reports and research. 1. Mental health conditions in trauma. High rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and traumatic

1:10:45brain injury, TBI among veterans who died by suicide and had recent VA care, depression, most common, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use disorder were frequent diagnoses. 2. Combat exposure often contributes indirectly. It increases PTSD risk, which in turn elevates suicide risk. Military sexual trauma, MST, is also a significant factor especially for women veterans. TBI, common from blasts, explosions or accidents, is linked to higher inflammation, chronic symptoms, and suicide rates that can be dramatically elevated, sometimes two to three times or more in post-9-11 veterans with TBI. 2. Access to and familiarity with lethal means especially firearms. Firearms account for approximately 65 to 74% of veteran suicides higher than the general

1:11:45population. Veterans are more likely to own guns, be trained in their use, and a reduced fear of death or pain due to military conditioning. Acquired capability for suicide. This makes attempts far more lethal. Veterans who attempt suicide are more likely to die than non-veterans. 3. Transition challenges and social isolation. The shift from military to civilian life can be abrupt. Loss of structure, mission, camaraderie, and identity leads to feelings of purposelessness. The first one to two years after leaving service are especially high risk. Younger veterans ages 18 to 34 consistently show elevated rates. Relationship problems, unemployment, financial stress, homelessness, and disconnection from community are common. Homeless veterans have suicide rates are approximately 146% higher than housed ones in some data. 4. Physical health issues and chronic

1:12:51pain. Over half of veterans who died by suicide had documented chronic pain and sleep problems, service-related injuries, musculoskeletal issues, and long-term effects of deployments contribute. Pain often leads to opioid prescriptions, which can intersect with substance use and worsen mental health. 5. Substance use disorders. Alcohol and other substance misuse frequently co-occur with mental health issues and impulsivity, raising risk. Binge drinking and sedative use disorders show particularly high associated rates, barriers to care. 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA health care in the year before their death. Stigma, weakness to seek help, cultural emphasis on self-reliance, bureaucratic hurdles, rural access issues, and weight times all play roles. Many veterans don't know about or fully utilize available benefits.

1:13:537. Demographic and broader factors. Veterans are disproportionately male, older in the overall population and white, groups with higher baseline suicide risk in the general population. Economic stressors, hopelessness and loss, financial relationships, are frequent immediate triggers. These factors rarely act alone. For example, PTSD plus chronic pain, plus easy firearm access plus isolation creates a particularly dangerous mix. Recent trends and hopeful signs. Total veteran suicides have hovered around 6,000 to 6,700 annually for years, but the 2023 drop, even as the rate edged up due to population decline, suggests prevention efforts may be having some impact. Rates remain highest among younger and recently transitioned veterans. Progress in areas like lethal means safety counseling, expanded crisis care, e.g.

1:14:58emergency mental health at any facility, and community programs has shown benefits in targeted groups. How can I get immediate help if I'm pondering suicide? If you're having thoughts of suicide or are in crisis right now, please reach out for help immediately. 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chumba by my side. Race to ChumbaCasino.com. Let's Chumba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, void work prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus sponsored by Chumba Casino.

1:16:02I've got Dan Morgan here on the pod. Say hi, Dan. Hey, how's it going today? It's going good, man. Tell us who you are and what you do. I'm Dan Morgan. I'm an attorney and a managing partner at Morgan and Morgan, which is America's largest injury law firm. That's pretty awesome. I think I saw Billboard years recently that said 20 billion won. 20 billion is an insane number. Yeah, 20 billion recovered. It's actually, I think, somewhere north probably closer to 22, 23 after this year. And each year we get bigger and better and our army grows, so the number will hopefully keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. Awesome. So how does someone get in contact with Morgan and Morgan? What would I do if I got into an accident? Probably the easiest way is dialing pound law. It's pound 529 from your cell phone. We are always open. Our call center is always waiting to take your call. 247-365. Wow, Dan Morgan. From Morgan and Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. Thanks for coming by the show. Thanks for having me. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you. Not alone and support is available 247 without judgment in the United States or its territories.

1:17:11Call or text 988 right now. This connects you to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a free confidential service staffed by trained crisis counselors. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call text or chat online. Options for Spanish speakers. Def slash hard of hearing via relay or 711-988 and veterans press one after calling 988 or text 838-255. Direct chat. HTTPS colon slash slash 988 lifeline.org slash chat. Slasher HTTPS colon slash slash chat. 988 lifeline.org slash the old number 1-800-2738-255 still works too. If you feel you are in immediate danger, for example, you have a plan or means to act, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room right away outside the United States.

1:18:16Call your local emergency services. For example, 999-112 in many countries, 000 in Australia, 112 in Europe, etc. Find a local helpline quickly at HTTPS colon slash slash find a helpline.com slash search by country. HTTPS colon slash slash slash befrenders.org slash international network. HTTPS colon slash slash W. W dot IASP dot info slash suicidal thoughts slash or HTTPS colon slash slash W. W dot IASP dot info slash crisis, dash centers, dash helplines, slash quick steps you can take. Right now on, reach out. Talking to someone trained in this can help de-escalate the moment and connect you to further support. 2. Stay with someone safe if possible, a friend, a family member, or even go to a public place. 3. Remove immediate access to means if safe to do so, for example, put away medications,

1:19:20firearms, etc. But don't do this alone if it's risky. Get help first. 4. Once the immediate crisis passes, follow up with a mental health, professional doctor or ongoing support, reaching out as a sign of strength, not weakness. Many people who have been through this describe it as the turning point that got them through the darkest time. Things can and do get better. Even if it doesn't feel that way right now. Please contact 988 or your local equivalent as soon as you read this. Counselors are there specifically for moments like this and will listen without judgment. If you're supporting someone else who's struggling, the same resources apply. You can call on their behalf or get guidance for how to help. Take that first step. Help is ready and waiting. I'm going to tell you something today that will sound absolutely

1:20:23mad. There is a secret price that comes with awakening and it has to do with love. Not the kind of love they write songs about, but something far more dangerous. Every truly awakened person carries a burden that makes them nearly untouchable. And what I'm about to reveal changes everything you think you know about enlightenment. What we mean when we say someone is in love. What's really happening there? When two people fall in love, they're playing a very ancient and rather elaborate game. It's a game of mutual deception, though we'd never call it that at a wedding. Each person presents to the other a carefully edited version of themselves. Not the whole catastrophe mind you, but the highlight reel, the charming bits, the mysterious bits, and the other person equally desperate for connection agrees to believe in this edited version. They invest in it.

1:21:25They build their dreams around it. This is what we call romance. And it's absolutely necessary for the game to work. But when you awaken, and I mean truly awaken, not just have a pleasant experience in meditation, something rather catastrophic happens. Something happens to your ability to play this game. You see through your own editing process, you watch yourself trying to be charming, and you see it for what it is. A performance, a mask, a clever little dance you've been doing since you were old enough to realize that certain behaviors get approval and others get rejection. And worse still, you see through everyone else's performance too. The awakened person stands before another human being completely naked, psychologically speaking. No pretence, no carefully crafted image, no future promises are becoming someone better, someone more complete. Just this, this strange

1:22:27cosmic accident of consciousness that somehow learn to call itself by a name, and that level of transparency is absolutely terrifying to people who are still identified with their personas. You know what happens when you stop pretending? When you stop playing the game of I am this kind of person, and I'm looking for that kind of person, people don't know what to do with you. They can't get a grip on you. It's like trying to nail jello to the wall. You become unpin downable, and our entire romantic structure is based on pinning people down into roles, into promises, into predictable patterns. The unawakened person is looking for someone to complete them. They're looking for their other half, as the saying goes. But the awakened soul isn't the half looking for another half. They're already whole, and two whole people meeting. Now that's an entirely different proposition than two halves trying to make a whole. Most people aren't ready for that. They don't want

1:23:28wholeness, meeting wholeness. They want need, meeting need. That desperate clinging that feels like love, but is really just two people afraid of their own emptiness, trying to fill the void with another person's presence. Imagine you meet someone at a party, charming person, quite attractive. They ask you what you do, where you're going in life, what your dreams are, all the usual questions we use to build the story of who we think we are. Now, if you're awake, you realize you can't answer these questions honestly without sounding like you've lost your mind, because the honest answer is, I'm nobody going nowhere, and the whole thing is a cosmic joke. I am the universe pretending to be a person, asking another part of the universe pretending to be a person what they pretend to do. Try that at a cocktail party sometime and watch what happens. The person will smile politely and find someone else to talk to, someone who's still playing the

1:24:29game, someone who has ambitions and plans and a five-year strategy, someone they can understand, categorize, and potentially fit into their life story. You see, people want a data character in a novel, not the space between the words. They want someone with a story they can follow, a trajectory they can predict, a future they can imagine. The awakened person has no story. They're just here, now, being whatever is happening. The more you see through the illusion of the separate self, the less you can participate in the usual dance of relationship, because that dance requires two people who believe their separate selves. It requires someone who can say, I need you and mean it in that desperate, hungry way that makes for great poetry and terrible relationships. The kind of need that keeps the whole machinery of romance grinding along, that beautiful,

1:25:33tragic need that spawns a thousand love songs in a million broken hearts. It's the fuel that the entire romantic industrial complex runs on. But when you've awakened, you can't say I need you in that way anymore, not because you're cold or detached, but because you've seen that the eye who would need and the you who would fulfill that need are both characters in a play. You've walked backstage and seen the ropes and pullers. You can't unsee that and you can't pretend you haven't seen it just to make someone feel comfortable. So you stand there utterly available, completely opened, but somehow impossible to possess and possession, my friends, is what most people mistake for love. Think about the language we use, my girlfriend, my boyfriend, my wife, my husband. We speak of human beings if they were property, and when someone leaves us,

1:26:35we feel robbed, betrayed, as if something that belonged to us has been stolen. The awakened person cannot be owned because they don't even own themselves. How can you possess someone who has realized they don't exist as a separate, solid entity? It's like trying to capture smoke. You can see it, you can move through it, but the moment you try to grab it, there's nothing there, and this is where it gets truly interesting. The awakened person loves, oh yes, they love more deeply than you can imagine, but it's a love without hooks, a love without agenda, a love that doesn't ask anything in return because there's no separate entity there to receive anything. It's like the sun shining. The sun doesn't decide to shine on you because you've been good or withhold its light because you've been bad. It just shines. That's what it does. And the awakened

1:27:36person loves in this same unconditional, indiscriminate way. But you see, most people don't want that kind of love. They want the other kind, the kind with conditions, the kind that says, I love you because you make me feel complete. I love you because you validate my existence. I love you because when I'm with you, I can forget the annoying anxiety that I might not really exist at all. That's the love that comes with strings attached, with contracts written in invisible ink. With expectations that neither party can ever quite articulate, but both understand perfectly. It's a business arrangement disguised as romance. The awakened soul cannot enter into this arrangement, not because they're superior or enlightened in some holier than thou sense, but because they've seen through the very mechanism that makes the arrangement possible. They can't fake the neediness. They can't manufacture the anxiety that makes possession feel like

1:28:38security. They can't pretend that another person has the power to make them whole because they've discovered they were never broken to begin with. And so they wander through this world of lovers like a sober person at a party where everyone else is drunk. Everyone around them is caught up in the drama, the intensity, the passionate highs and crushing lows of romantic love. And they're just watching with a kind of bemused affection like a parent watching children play a very serious game of make believe. They can appreciate the beauty of it. They can even participate to some degree, but they can't lose themselves in it. And losing yourself is precisely what falling in love is supposed to be about. We even say it that way, don't we? I lost myself in her eyes. I was beside myself with passion. The language reveals the truth. Romantic love is about losing yourself, about abandoning the burden of being a separate individual, if only for a moment

1:29:42in the arms of another. It's about merger, fusion, the temporary dissolution of boundaries, and it feels ecstatic precisely because for a brief moment you get a taste of what the awakened person knows all the time. That separation is an illusion that we're all one thing looking at itself through a billion different faces. But then the moment passes and the boundary is snapped back into place and you're separate again. And so you chase that feeling. Over time, Moss molded mildew stains cover your home and cleaning them is too much work. You need wet and forget the easy bleach-free way to clean tough outdoor stains. For decks, patios, and cushions use wet and forget outdoor spaces, no scrubbing, no rinsing, just apply and let it do the work for you over time. Got a bigger job? Reach second story siding in roofs with outdoor max. Up to a 30-foot reach in two times the coverage. Get wet and forget at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Another checkered flag for the books. Time to celebrate

1:30:46with Chamba. Jump in at ChambaCasino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary. BTW Group. Boy, we're prohibited by law. CCNC, 21 Plus. Sponsored by Chamba Casino. I've got Dan Morgan here on the pod. Say hi, Dan. Hey, how's it going today? It's going good, man. Tell us who you are and what you do. I'm Dan Morgan. I'm an attorney and a managing partner at Morgan Morgan, which is America's largest injury law firm. That's pretty awesome. I think I saw Billboard at yours recently that said 20 billion one. 20 billion is an insane number. Yeah, 20 billion recovered. It's actually, I think, somewhere north probably closer to 22, 23 after this year. And each year we get bigger and batter and our army grows. So the number will hopefully keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. Awesome. So how does someone get in contact with Morgan and Morgan? What would I do if I got into an accident? Probably the easiest way is dialing pound law. That's pound 529 from your cell phone. We are always open. Our call center is always waiting to take your call. 2477-365.

1:31:47Wow, Dan Morgan. From Morgan and Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. Thanks for coming by the show. Thanks for having me. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you. You fall in love again and again, trying to recapture that moment of dissolution. You mistake the person for the experience. You think it's about them, but it's not. It's about the temporary breaking down of the walls you've built around yourself. The awakened person doesn't need another person to experience this, because the walls are already down permanently. They live in that state of unity that everyone else is desperately seeking through a relationship. Can you see the problem? They're offering what everyone wants, but in a form that no one recognizes. It's like someone offering free water to people dying of thirst, but the water isn't in a bottle or a glass. It's just water, pure and simple, and people walk right past it because it doesn't look like what they think they're looking for. They want the container. They want the form.

1:32:49They want someone who needs them back, who will play the game with conviction, who will suffer dramatically when they threaten to leave, who will cling and grasp and promise forever. The awakened person can't do any of that, not convincingly, anyway, and so they become untouchable, not because they're trying to be, not because they think they're too good for ordinary love, but because they've evolved beyond the very mechanism that makes ordinary love possible, they're like a butterfly trying to explain flight to caterpillars. The caterpillars aren't interested. They're too busy crawling around looking for another caterpillar to crawl beside. They can't even conceive of what the butterfly is offering, and the butterfly can't go back to crawling. It's not a choice. The transformation is irreversible. You can't unknow what you know. You can't unsee what you've seen. Some of you might be thinking, well, what about two awakened people? Couldn't they have a

1:33:51relationship? Ah, but here's the beautiful thing. When two awakened people meet, they don't have a relationship in the conventional sense. They don't have that drama of separation and union, pushing and pulling, needing and fulfilling. They simply enjoy each other's company, moment by moment, with no story about past or future. They dance together without stepping on each other's toes because neither of them is trying to lead. It's not a relationship. It's a communion, but communion is rare. Most of the awakened souls you'll meet are wondering through a world of people still caught in the dream, still believing in their own separation, still hungry for that special someone to make them complete. And the awakened person looks at all this with tremendous compassion because they remember what it was like. They remember the hunger, the desperate searching, the belief that happiness was just one person away. They remember it like

1:34:55you might remember a dream you had as a child. Vivid, but no longer real, no longer compelling, so they remain alone in a sense, not lonely. Mind you, loneliness is what you feel when you're a separate self longing for connection. The awakened person is never lonely because they're never really alone. They're always connected to everything. They're the ocean feeling itself as a wave, but they are solitary in the sense that very few people can meet them where they are. Most relationships require you to pretend to be smaller than you are, to squeeze yourself back into the costume of being a separate individual with needs and fears and ambition. The awakened person can't do that anymore. The costume doesn't fit. And so they live in this world, loving everyone and belonging to no one, available to all but possessed by none. And this is the secret price of awakening

1:35:56that nobody warns you about. You gain everything, the whole universe, in fact. And you lose the ability to play the game that makes most people feel alive. You become cosmically rich and romantically poor. You see the joke, but nobody's laughing with you. You are free, but freedom looks like loneliness to people who are still in chains. And yet there's something utterly perfect about it, because the awakened person doesn't feel they're missing out. They're not sitting around wishing they could fall in love the way other people do. They're not lonely for companionship in that hungry, desperate way. They are complete. And completion is what everyone's looking for through relationship that can never find there, because you can't find completeness in another person. You can only find it in yourself, by yourself, for yourself, or rather by realizing there is no separate self to be complete or incomplete. This is what I mean when I say the awakened soul

1:36:58can't find love. They can't find it because they are it. They've become the very thing everyone else is searching for. And you can't find what you already are. You can't seek what you've already become. The search is over, but the part is still going on, and everyone at the party is still searching. So the awakened person sits in the corner, radiating love to everyone who passes by. But rarely do people stop. They're too busy looking for love to notice it standing right there. And that, my friends, is the cosmic joke, the cosmic tragedy, the cosmic perfection of it all. The awakened soul becomes love itself, and in doing so becomes impossible to love in the way that most people understand love. They've transcended the game entirely. And once you've transcended the game, you can't go back and play it with a straight face. You're done. Complete whole. And

1:37:58profoundly, beautifully, perfectly alone in the crowd. Not because no one loves them, but because everyone does, and no one knows it. These are the memories you remember. Never before and never since. I've found this, live a whole world beyond that space. And as you feel it, you know it's true. They're here,

1:39:08I'll best end my game. It's true. They're here, I touch by something, they never let go of you in you. These are days you'll remember. When the heat's rushing over it, the deep fire, to be part of the mere processing. In every all you know it's true. They're here, I'll best end my game. It's true. They're here, I touch by something,

1:40:18they never let go of you in you. These are days. These are the days you might feel loved until you've been. These days you might feel a shaft of light, light, make it swear, but close your face. When you do, you know how I was meant to be. These signs know they're me near. It's true. You know how I was meant to be. These signs know they're me near. It's true.

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1:42:4721 plus turns and conditions apply. I've got Dan Morgan here on the pod. Say hi, Dan. Hey, how's it going today? It's going good, man. Tell us who you are and what you do. I'm Dan Morgan. I'm an attorney and a managing partner at Morgan and Morgan, which is America's largest injury law firm. That's pretty awesome. I think I saw Billboard years recently that said 20 billion won. 20 billion is insane number. Yeah, 20 billion recovered. It's actually, I think, somewhere north probably closer to 22, 23 after this year. And each year we get bigger and better and our army grows, so the number will hopefully keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on. Awesome. So how does someone do in contact with Morgan and Morgan? What would I do if I got into an accident? Probably the easiest way is dialing pound law. It's pound 529 from your cell phone. We are always open. Our call center is always waiting to take your call. 247-365. Wow, Dan Morgan. From Morgan and Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. Thanks for coming by the show. Thanks for having me. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you.

1:44:02And after this storm, run and run as the rains come and dial a car, dial a car, on my knees and out of love, dial a car. And I've always pushed up day. You must know life to see decay, but I won't run hard. I won't run, not this mind and not this heart I won't run. And I took you by the high, and we used to talk. And remember our own life, what we live for.

1:45:08But there won't come a time you'll see, with no more tears and love will not break your heart. But dismiss your fears, get over your hill and see. One you find there with grace in your heart and flower, was in your head. And now I cling to one of you. I saw exactly what was true, but no no more. That's why I hold, that's why I hold, with all I have, that's why I hold.

1:46:17And I will die alone and be left there. Well, I guess I'll just go home. Oh, God knows where. Yeah, because death is just so full, and mine's so small. Well, I'm scared of what's behind, and what's before. But there won't come a time you'll see, with no more tears and love will not break your heart. But dismiss your fears, get over your hill and see. One you find there with grace in your heart and flower, was in your head.

1:47:17And now I'll come a time you'll see, with no more tears and love will not break your heart. But dismiss your fears, get over your hill and see. One you find there with grace in your heart and flower, was in your head. And now I cling to one of you, was in your head. And your day is slow, and the night is yours alone, and you're sure you've had enough, this life,

1:48:38before. Don't let yourself go, was everybody cries. Everybody hurts sometimes, sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along, when your day is light, oh no, oh no, you feel like let it go. Thank you've had too much, this life, by God, was everybody hurts to come for your life.

1:50:08Everybody hurts, don't throw your hand, don't throw your hand, don't throw your hand, don't throw your hand. You feel like you're love, you're love, you're love, you're love, you're love. You're on your own, on the slide, days and nights alone. You think you've had too much, this life, by God, was everybody hurts,

1:51:30but sometimes everybody cries. Everybody hurts, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes.

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1:54:07Let's chumbac. Sponsored by Chumbacacino, no purchase necessary. VGW Group Voidware Prohibited by Law, 21 Plus Turns and Conditions Apply. Time to change and time to strange, here I come, but I ain't the same. Mama, I'm coming home. Time to buy, it seems to be. You could have been a better friend to me. Mama, I'm coming home. You took me in and you drove me out, gave me the sizes. Lost and found and turned around by the fire in your eyes.

1:55:14You make me cry, you told me lies, but I can't stand to say goodbye. Mama, I'm coming home. I could be right, I could be wrong, it hurts so bad, it's been so long. Mama, I'm coming home. Selfish luck, yeah, we're both alone, right before the border. But I'm gonna take it hard, it's no light, it's got to hit it all. I've seen you face a hundred times, every day we've been apart. I don't care about the sunshine, yeah, cause mama, mama, I'm coming home.

1:56:24I could be wrong. You took me in and you drove me out, gave me the sizes. Lost and found and turned around by the fire in your eyes.

1:57:24I've seen you face a thousand times, every day we've been apart. I don't care about the sunshine, yeah, cause mama, mama, I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

1:59:24I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

2:00:24I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

2:01:24I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

2:02:32I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

2:03:40I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. You said, sorry, honey, if I don't change the pace, I can't miss another day.

2:04:43I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I'm just playing rock and roll, do the job's fine, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best. I love my bleeding in my head. I wonder if those changes I've left the scar on you. Like all the fun, and I'm here to fly with you, and I've lost you. You're a new bird on a telegram, and I hope you're having a nap. When you're the one that I've changed, I'm a guy you'll wake up, you'll make it back somehow.

2:05:51I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I would hate rock and roll, do you and all the fun, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best. I love my bleeding in my head. I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I would hate rock and roll, do the job's fine, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best.

2:06:53I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I would hate rock and roll, do the job's fine, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best. I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I would hate rock and roll, do the job's fine, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best. I love my bleeding in my head, or tell me the thing I've got to do with another man. I would hate rock and roll, do the job's fine, and my good job, you and all the stars, give the best.

2:07:55I love my bleeding in my head. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Now, back blood, baby, and my head.

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