Esther Perel

And over time, decades maybe, I slowly began to actually appreciate that I was part of many places, even if I didn't necessarily belong to all these places. You know that distinction?

Like it's a part of me.

Like it's a part of me.

But I am not just that. If you want to know me, you need to know this and this and this. It's various parts.

But I am not just that. If you want to know me, you need to know this and this and this. It's various parts.

The locations, the languages, the stories that accompany it. I think probably you too. I think so.

The locations, the languages, the stories that accompany it. I think probably you too. I think so.

I mean, what part of your Americanness travels with you to South Africa? Or do you really kind of... No, no, no, no.

I mean, what part of your Americanness travels with you to South Africa? Or do you really kind of... No, no, no, no.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like this project that was described.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like this project that was described.

Because when you live in a more collectivist culture, the culture drives you. You don't have to go and attempt everything and be part of everything in order to know that you exist because you are absorbed by a larger tradition. I think that is part of the individualism here.

Because when you live in a more collectivist culture, the culture drives you. You don't have to go and attempt everything and be part of everything in order to know that you exist because you are absorbed by a larger tradition. I think that is part of the individualism here.

And part of the individualism is also, you know, once I had a family, I had a very different experience here because you have to do everything yourself. It's not just you have to go. You have to keep up with the news. You also have to pay for your education. You have to pay for your health. You are responsible for everything.

And part of the individualism is also, you know, once I had a family, I had a very different experience here because you have to do everything yourself. It's not just you have to go. You have to keep up with the news. You also have to pay for your education. You have to pay for your health. You are responsible for everything.

And when you come from a social welfare system, that is a very different experience. The idea with which people take it for granted that they have to.

And when you come from a social welfare system, that is a very different experience. The idea with which people take it for granted that they have to.

put all the infrastructure in place a marriage here is a social welfare state of two and versus you know there's a social welfare state that exists as part of the system and within that you create a family that puts an enormous burden on people enormous we're going to continue this conversation right after this short break

put all the infrastructure in place a marriage here is a social welfare state of two and versus you know there's a social welfare state that exists as part of the system and within that you create a family that puts an enormous burden on people enormous we're going to continue this conversation right after this short break

Oh, I think I had three things. I either was going to be an interpreter, because my mom said, you speak all these languages, you like to travel. Interpreter will give you both. A journalist, because I was curious. And a theater actress. I loved the theater. But I think, honestly, for me, there's the people who've always known what they wanted to do. The people who just stumbled upon something.