I’ve known Brad Cavanagh for almost ten years. But it seems like we’ve been friends for a lifetime. Brad is a social worker by trade, a professor, he’s been a therapist and he’s a deep thinker. Time with Brad, usually on a deck, in front of a fire pit or wandering some farmland, usually lasts until 2 or 3 A.M. He’s just one of those people you don’t want to stop talking to.
He’s also the main reason I got off my ass and actually launched Mindsoak.
I love debating politics and world solutions with Brad. One, because we never get angry with one another even though we might be coming from opposite ends of the spectrum. And two, because he’s so thought out, well researched, reality based and confident in his perspective. Where I am shooting from the hip and flying by the seat of my pants.
Sidetone: Brad and I enjoy play online video games with each other and have been doing so for quite a while. In the games we play there are usually two major tactics. One is be methodical, take your time, wait for the right opportunity and stay hidden. The other is run in like a madman, try to react to whatever situation is thrown at you and create as much chaos as possible. In fact, there is a game in which one of the tools you can use is a “snakecam” which allows you to look under the door to see what awaits you on the other side. I’ve come to call Brad “Snakecam” for his calm, measured approach to breaching a room while I patiently wait beside him itching to bust into the room and cause as much mayhem as possible.
But guess what, when it comes to snakecam-ing life and solutions, Brad is brilliant at it.
That’s why he started The Realist Idealist. And that’s why we should all be reading his ideas for solutions to some of society’s greatest problems. The man thinks of all the ideas, weighs all the options and makes decisions based on facts.
I hope you enjoy our conversation as we discuss his ideas for The Realist Idealist and we meander through his history and what shaped his perspective on life.
Here are the links to some of the books and products we discuss on the podcast (clicking through to the links will take you to Amazon. If you decide to purchase the product through these links Mindsoak get’s a little kickback for sending you.):
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
- The Round House: A Novel by Louse Erdrich
- America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System by Steven Brill
- Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko and Larry McMurtry
- The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
- Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
Make sure you also follow Brad at www.therealistidealist.com, on Twitter and on Facebook. Brad also recently wrote an essay for titled “In The Box” Mindsoak.
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