42. Balancing Cynicism and Mental Health, and Seeking Understanding through Shared Humanity with Jon Shahar

"Taking a rest day, because you need to for your mental health. Also, understanding that your experiences are your own, and it's real and legitimate, but there are also 350 million people in this country, and 7 plus billion people in this world. Each of them has experiences and stories as fully encompassing as your own, and as valid as your own. And, also kind of similar to your own. It makes the fire and the conflict a little bit more manageable." - Jon Shahar Jon Shahar (@jonshahar2040) is a third-year law student at Temple University and a passionate political activist. This week, we continue our conversation around today’s political climate and what we can do to navigate the polarity of it all. To use Jon’s words, 2020 has been a “monstrosity of mental heath stress,” so we discuss strategies for managing mental health and the importance of therapy in today’s world. Jon also provides valuable approaches to resolving conflict, such as empathizing with the other side and seeking to understand their points of view. Further, Jon shares about his gap year experience teaching English to students in Israel and how that fundamentally shifted his belief system, as well as his time as the president of a Penn State fraternity, and what it taught him about effective leadership. This episode is wide-ranging and packed with insight and entertainment. We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow. We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us and Jon Shahar.