Jan Fran - Wars For Your Attention
5/3/20261 hr 11 min
In a world so divided by hate, how can we choose to show love?
This week we are joined by journalist Jan Fran, who unpacks the horror of witnessing horror.
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Talking through her unravelling relationship with social media and the utter helplessness she feels watching atrocities cut into 30 second clips, Jan explores how becoming a mother cracked her open in ways she didn’t know possible.
Joining us in the Vulnerabilitea House to answer every question in the deck (kidding), Jan and Josh discuss the guilt of turning away, and the consequences of leaning in.
And finally, Jan bonds with the Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the fundamental importance of deliberately creating community.
Jan, you are remarkable.
0:00 – Introducing Josh’s housemate
8:42 – The art of being vulnerable
17:19 – I wish I could stop going on social media.
27:13 – Being cracked open
35:32 – Deliberately building community
46:39 – Anticipating the Comments
53:34 – Optimist by will
If you’d like to watch this full video on YouTube (and see Josh’s Frant banner), follow this link - https://youtu.be/BRoyNdZEZD0
🫖Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode
- Dr Edna Lekgabe - New Baby … New Brain … Matrescence - (33:21) - https://bit.ly/48vQZb5
- How (and Why) Ryan Dumped His iPhone - (20:50) - https://bit.ly/4tGRXKj
💻Things to check out
- The Frant - https://bit.ly/4cSeFaO
- Ette Media - https://bit.ly/4t1OzIw
🎧 Things to listen to
- We Used To Be Journos - https://bit.ly/4dcAGT9
📱Things to help you set social media boundaries
- One sec - https://bit.ly/4cEYMpF
- Brick - https://bit.ly/4vXSzfP
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The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJan Fran· Guest0:00
I've come to understand that community is a deliberate act of love [gentle music] Jan Fran has built an incredibly decorated career talking about things that matter, and today we're gonna do just that I just feel like a fundamentally different person to what I was. Probably not as happy a person.
Josh van Cuylenburg· Host0:18
Mm.
Jan Fran· Guest0:19
And, you know, I think that it's a, it's a real common feeling that I think a lot of people have, and I know that because I have, you know, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds of people who reach out and say, "I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going crazy. Every day I feel like I'm going crazy." When you think of all of the, um, people in Gaza, for example, and now of course Lebanon. I was born there. You know, I, I d- I do see my son in, in, in all of the children.
Speaker 20:50
I can so see how you feel this responsibility to look out for all of them. You should make sure it doesn't destroy you, but also don't lose it, 'cause it's, it's incredible.
Jan Fran· Guest1:01
If you are somebody that is an optimist, I heard, um, the, the, the phrase yesterday, "I'm a pessimist by intellect, but an optimist by will."
Josh van Cuylenburg· Host1:10
[laughs] Whoa.
Speaker 21:11
[laughs] Who said that?
Jan Fran· Guest1:12
Oh, I think it was, like, an Italian communist. [laughs] [laughs] [laughs] So there you go, boys. We're all becoming communists now. That's the answer.
Speaker 21:21
This is the Vulnerabili-tea House. Today we have sort of a friend of the show. It's sort of a friend