The Spiritual Implications of a Recession

The tariffs won’t just affect your wallet—they’ll also affect
your soul. In this episode, we walk through 5 spiritual side
effects of an economic downturn (per Abraham Maslow, Karl Marx,
and Simone Weil). Then we’ll talk through 3
philosophically-rooted tips for tending to your soul during (yet
another) unprecedented time. Are the people wearing milkmaid
dresses to the club a recession indicator? What would Karl Marx
think about you hating your coworkers who won’t stay late at the
office? How can we prioritize spirituality at a time like this
without being navel-gazey? Let’s talk about it.





EPISODE OUTLINE





00:00 Intro


03:16 5 spiritual impacts of a recession


03:45break


06:39 1. Accessing spirituality gets harder


06:52 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs


08:37 Simone Weil and Simone du Beauvoir clash


11:05 Everyone’s an existentialist until the rent is due


12:31 2. Resurgence of traditional faith systems


12:39 Hemline index


13:36 Moral panics during recessions


13:52 Today: trad wives, homesteading and Catholic core


14:28 The link between economic security & decline of
religious affiliation


16:33 3. Disconnection from nature and each other


16:58 Karl Marx’s 1844 paper on alienation of labor


21:23 4. Escapism becomes more tempting than ever


21:44 Lipstick index


22:40 TikTok restock videos as a recession indicator


23:10 Alcohol sales during recessions


23:54 TikTok shop dupe culture as a recession indicator


24:35 5. We’re ripe for spiritual expansion


25:42 The god shaped hole (Pascal)


26:27 3 practical tips for spiritual health during a recession


26:42 1. Other people are not your competition


27:28 “Be kind to people and ruthless to systems”


27:40 2. Tactile hobbies and reconnecting with the fruits of our
labor


29:38 3. Spirituality during hard times is best served
pragmatically and people-focused


31:58 Challenge: noticing me versus them moments





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