# #1266 Robert Pantano (Pursuit of Wonder): The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dissenter-1161217/1266-robert-pantano-pursuit-of-wonder-the-terrible-paradox-of-self-awareness
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dissenter-1161217/1266-robert-pantano-pursuit-of-wonder-the-terrible-paradox-of-self-awareness.md
Podcast: [The Dissenter](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-dissenter-1161217)
Published: 2026-06-12T18:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedissenter/episodes/1266-Robert-Pantano-Pursuit-of-Wonder-The-Terrible-Paradox-of-Self-Awareness-e3kd6ej
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/822ba20/podcast/play/121067411/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-5%2F698ea2f0-6205-3372-fd73-347ecaec8757.m4a
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Duration seconds: 4967

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******Support the channel****** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on****** Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/ The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Robert Pantano is the author of several books, including The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence, The Art of Living an Absurd Existence, and Notes from the End of Everything. He is also the writer and creator behind the YouTube channel and production house Pursuit of Wonder, where he explores philosophy, science, and literature through short stories, guided experiences, video essays, and more. His latest book is The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness: How Awareness Is the Beginning and End of Suffering. In this episode, we focus on The Terrible Paradox of Self-Awareness. We start by discussing what self-awareness is, and the negative implications it has for our lives. We talk about the self, and discuss whether it is an illusion. We discuss the violent process of individuation, and whether its elimination would be a good thing. We talk about delusions and whether we can live without them. We explore the Buddhist idea of detaching ourselves from things and other people. We talk about what it means to be a good person. We discuss whether we…

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