Ethical Prepperism and How to Stay Present During Collapse (J Wortham)
Holly sits down with J Wortham, NYT Magazine staff writer, co-host of the Still Processing podcast, and co-editor of the anthology Black Futures. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore how to navigate authoritarian times through spiritual practice, community building, and practical survivalism, while examining the tension between ambition and enoughness in creative work.They discuss why current upheaval isn't new for people who've survived oppression; J's evolution from tech journalism to culture writing through curiosity rather than ambition; the collapse of arts funding + how institutions are becoming irrelevant; moving beyond performative activism toward genuine relationship + conflict resolution; practical survivalism rooted in mutual aid rather than individualistic prepping; learning skills like fermentation, sewing, fire-making as acts of self-reliance and community care; the difference btw online/ offline community building with high barriers to entry and no easy exits; Hurricane Sandy as a radicalizing moment about infrastructure failure and mutual aid; why black people are "early adopters" who see cultural shifts before they become mainstream; spiritual practices including ancestor reverence and staying present during uncertainty; the corrupting nature of external validation versus doing good work at a manageable scale; how trauma responses can inform healthy preparedness without falling into scarcity thinking; and building solidarity across difference through embracing rather than avoiding conflict.J Wortham (they/them) is a sound healer, herbalist, and community care worker oriented towards healing justice and liberation.J is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of the podcast ‘Still Processing,, writer of the channeling newsletter, editor of the visual anthology “Black Futures,” and is also currently working on a book for Penguin Press. CreditsOriginal music by Gracie Coates (of Gracie and Rachel) @graciecoates @gracieandrachel on Instagram, gracieandrachel.comSound engineering, editor: Adam Day, adamdayphotography.comProducer: Holly Whitaker, hollywhitaker.comCo-Producers: Adam DayOriginal art by Misha Handschumacher, cmisha.comSupport the showco-regulation is listener-supported, made possible by us and by you; you can support this podcast by joining our Patreon community patreon.com/coregulation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
co-regulation is a podcast hosted by Holly Whitaker (HOME, QUITTED) that creates space for authentic conversations about how we're navigating this period of societal upheaval and profound transition. Through conversations with thinkers, artists, and experts, informed by Holly's perspective on addiction, recovery, and the intersection of personal healing and cultural systems, this show invites listeners into real-time exploration of how we're living through unprecedented change—not as isolated individuals, but as interconnected beings whose nervous systems regulate better together than apart.In the aftermath of the 2024 election and accelerating pressure on our social systems, the limitations of the American experiment have become impossible to ignore. Every day exposes the myth that we can solve collective problems through individual achievement, consumption choices, or personal virtue. We've inherited a story that places the burden of global salvation on our individual shoulders while the architects of collapse profit from the fallout.co-regulation emerges from Holly's direct experience: when consumed by the pressure to fix broken systems personally, she becomes incapacitated. Her nervous system remains in perpetual fight-or-flight. But when she connects with others wrestling with the same questions, something shifts. Our bodies literally calm in each other's presence. Solutions emerge not from heroic individual efforts but from the space between us.This podcast acknowledges that we're at the end of an era defined by extraction, dominance, competition, and separation. We're being forced to move toward each other—to find collective solutions, to rebuild ways of existing harmoniously with the earth and each other. The path forward isn't through competition or meritocracy but through connection, mutual aid, and collective sense-making. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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