The New Abnormal
#TheNewAbnormal podcast (which has over 250,000 downloads) focuses on understanding today and anticipating the future. Discussing these subjects via the viewpoints of my guests has led to some fascinating conversations with activists, creatives, writers, philosophers, strategists, psychologists, lecturers, futurists, etc. Re: my bio, I'm a strategist, author and speaker. My 1st book went to No1 in the business charts, whilst my 2nd was shortlisted for the 'Business Book of the Year' Awards. (The podcast partners with The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, a global leader in applying futures studies to solve strategic challenges, helping clients to be #FuturesReady.) So, we hope you enjoy listening to the series - which was set up during the early days of Covid, and is divided into Series One [2020-21] Two [2022] Three [2023] Four [2024] and Five [2025]. All rights reserved. #TheNewAbnormal podcast series © Sean Pillot de Chenecey 2020. Please note that it's currently on hold, as I literally don’t have the time to record any episodes at the moment, but it’ll return in late summer...
The New Abnormal
Mark Vernon 'Everything in philosophy is a footnote to Plato'. (And quite a lot is a footnote to Kant).
Series Two
In this episode of #TheNewAbnormal podcast, I interviewed Mark Vernon, a psychodynamic psychotherapist, writer and broadcaster, who has a keen interest in spirituality and the inner life. He has a PhD in ancient philosophy, as well as degrees in physics and theology.
His books (which have appeared in translation around the world) cover subjects from friendship and belief, to wellbeing and love, and his latest one is 'A Secret History of Christianity'.
Mark contributes to and has presented a number of radio programmes such as 'The Moral Maze' and 'In Our Time'. He teaches at The Idler Academy and also leads workshops and gives talks re: 'Ancient Greek Philosophy and How to See Spiritually'.
So, as you can no doubt imagine, I found it fascinating to talk with Mark about his thinking on subjects ranging from Plato to Freud to Blake to Augustine; and on issues ranging from friendship to religion to generational angst to Pandora's Box.
Along the way, we discuss the Socratic Question, his viewpoints on the Stoics, Epicureans, Skeptics and Cynics, all things ego-related, why it's hard for science to question itself, along with the parables of Jesus and Buddha.