10 Most Disturbing Stories Told On Joe Rogan Experience
7. Sebastian Junger And Adversity
Journalist and author of Tribe, Sebastian Junger featured on the podcast in 2017 discussing his views on community, the need for purpose in life, and PTSD possibly being linked with returning veterans no longer having a purpose.
Junger reveals that after suffering from PTSD, as a result of coming back from a long stay with soldiers based in Syria, his marriage ended, and he began to realise that his life in the suburbs kept him without a community.
Moving to a housing project in New York City, Junger found a community in his tenement building, which had given its residents a purpose during Hurricane Sandy.
Due to power failure as a result of the storm, people in the building were worried about being robbed, so together they organised a guard shift between residents. Armed with a machete, members on guard would patrol the door and hallways of the projects to prevent opportunistic thieves causing a threat to other residents.
Throughout the episode, Junger theorises that people need community, purpose, and adversity to be satisfied in their lives. It is because of these needs that, despite his new home being far removed from the homes he grew accustomed to throughout his life, he is now happy.