Dr. Craig B. Wiener

In Episode 65 of Mental Breakthrough, I sit down with psychologist and author Dr. Craig B. Wiener to explore what truly divides us—not just politically, but psychologically, culturally, and emotionally. Drawing from his book Backyard Politics, we unpack how the ways we raise children echo in our public life: our craving for certainty, our intolerance of ambivalence, and our retreat into either safetyism or control.

Dr. Wiener offers a powerful framework for seeing ideological rigidity not as a moral failing, but as a developmental impasse. We talk about how evolutionary instincts, attachment styles, and trauma narratives all shape how we engage—or disengage—from societal problems. And we ask: Can we reclaim personal agency without abandoning compassion? Can policy be both protective and empowering?

I also share my ongoing project around envisioning an “ideal death”—not as a fixation, but as a guide for living authentically now.

This conversation digs deep into the emotional roots of polarization and invites a more grounded, humane way forward.

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