SAFETY DOC PODCAST #63: Rituals Make Us Stronger | Interview with TJ Martinell

PODCAST-Author/Writer/Reporter/Outdoorsman TJ Martinell appraises routines, rituals and experiences versus accumulation of “stuff”. Embracing an authentic, minimalism-grounded lifestyle from his svelte-outfitted cabin, TJ suggests that finding yourself begins with reconnaissance and locating the empirical origins of both ancestry and philosophical epistemology. Making the world perceptible, TJ describes his pilgrimage to view the US Constitution or stand upon the “ghostly” battlefield soil of Gettysburg. 

DIRECT LINK to MP3 of this Episode:  https://tinyurl.com/SDP63

TJ’S BOOKS & CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 10^th AMENDMENT CENTER

As an accomplished author, his 2016 novel “The Stringers” seemingly foreshadowed the current kleptocrat implants that sift, winnow, blot and skew the narratives mainstream media reporters feed to an information-saturated and knowledge-starved public. Imagine a [future] time when the contraband is information and censorship is commonplace. A contributor to the Tenth Amendment Center, TJ reminds listeners that per the 10th Amendment, the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or the people. This emerges as a fascinating segment of the show as TJ helps us to understand that we are passively surrendering our rights simply due to insufficient education and activism of the 10th Amendment. Learn more about this specific topic at http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/

RITUALS or ROUTINES

TJ and David share their interests and disdain for professional sports as they build a foundation for a discussion to address the confabulation of routines with rituals. TJ questions the one-sided vesting of a sports fanatic and how this desire for some distorted sense of tribal collectiveness, or simply to be a part of a group (fans), does not advance the individual. There is no accomplishment in wearing another man’s jersey. Painting your face blue before each home game is a ritual although it holds no practical value. David pokes fun at the scant amenities provided to fans by a 1980s Lambeau Field – home of the Green Bay Packers. He shares the thrill of a new out-of-town scoreboard added to the stadium in the early 1990s – still pre-dating the first video board. Renovations have transformed the stadium into a “fan experience” of massive high-definition video displays and other technology that caters to advertisers while the authenticity of the game quietly erodes with each upgrade. In summary, routines are performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special occasion. TJ shared that he often smokes a pipe when he achieves the summit of a climb (a ritual) – and that preparing a pipe is actually much more intricate than the simple strike of a match per Sherlock Holmes tobacco acumen!

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RISK… 

David cites the recent cancellation of an 8th grade class trip in Ohio due to “perceived” terrorism risks as a frightening precedence of conveying to young adults that it is not safe to engage in reconnaissance and authentic experiences. TJ framed a deft counter argument to the parents seeking nullification of the trip by underscoring that risk at the center of founding the country. Per TJ, “We believe that you seeing these things are worth it because they didn’t come without risks. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, these men were likely signing their own death warrants had they lost the war. Explain that the documents matter as they were worth the risk of founding the United States of America.” TJ argues that the crux at making a decision should not only be “is this safe” – as Jack London’s biography would support that adventure and experience bring richness to life and risk will always be a part of the human experience – by choice or by chance.

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Looking for Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD?

Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com

Learn More About This Episode’s Guest

www.tjmartinell.com

TJ’s Books on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=TJ+Martinell

Harvard Business Review Article “New Research: Rituals Make Us Value Things More”

https://hbr.org/2013/12/new-research-rituals-make-us-value-things-more