EP08: How Autonomy Wrecks Intimacy with Jim Young

“A lot of what expansive intimacy is about is this reciprocal type of relationship that we build at a really deep level with other people so that our needs and other people's needs get met.”

In this episode, Jim takes a deep dive into the concept SASS, which was first introduced in episode 04 with guest Cait Donovan.

 

Cait described the acronym SASS ("super autonomous self-sufficiency") as a common pathway to burnout. As soon as she mentioned it, Jim realized this was the catalyst of his own burnout story.

 

In this solo episode, Jim breaks down this term, explaining that while all of these words can be positive in nature, when taken too far, they become problematic.

 

The reality is that we don’t want to find ourselves in situations where we are doing too much by ourselves because it will get in the way of us living an abundant life with ourselves and others. We don’t need to be super autonomous. We don’t have to settle for "sufficient" relationships or experiences. And by breaking down each component of SASS, Jim hopes to help others prevent burnout and expand their relationships.

 

So let’s drop the SASS and join the world of expansive intimacy. Tune into the conversation for more!

 

Quotes:

“As a guy who's helping to lead this conversation, that doesn't mean I have intimacy figured out. In fact, I’m far from it. But I continue to learn and I want to sometimes interject my thoughts into episodes.” (02:02-02:14)

“When we do anything to an extreme or excessive degree, supersizing it, we can run into trouble.” (04:49-04:56)

“If we take autonomy to a super degree, we can start to move into isolation. We can be depriving ourselves of resources that can help us greatly in our lives.” (06:55-07:12)

“If we are hyper or super focused on being autonomous and self-sufficient, we lose flexibility.” (11:48-11:59)

Show Links

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music

Connect with Jim Young:

Website: www.thecenteredcoach.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thecenteredcoach

The Men's Expansive Intimacy Project: www.thecenteredcoach.com/expansive-intimacy-project

Expansive Intimacy, the book: https://www.amazon.com/Expansive-Intimacy-Tough-Defeat-Burnout/dp/B0BFTSZ4ZG/

 

If you like what we're talking about on the show, would you consider sharing it with someone important in your life who might also appreciate it?

 

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The views expressed are that of the individual and do not represent the opinions of any companies past, present or future.

 

Intro Music: Catch It by Coma- Media

Outro Music: Upbeat Funky Retro by QubeSounds

 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm