Today's conversation is with Serge Prengel
Serge is a therapist who has been exploring creative approaches to mindfulness in therapy and in everyday life. He invites you to join his explorations at https://proactivemindfulness.com/
In today’s conversation, Serge and I explored the distinction between compassion and condoning, and how understanding another person does not require agreeing with or permitting harmful behavior. We spoke about blame, polarization, and the ways people can unconsciously mirror the very dynamics they oppose. Throughout the conversation, we returned repeatedly to the idea that embodied compassion differs from conceptual compassion — that true understanding often emerges not through abstract ideals, but through contact with our own felt experience of fear, defensiveness, threat, and protection.
We also explored the nervous system’s role in shaping perception and behavior, including how even subtle moments can activate fight-or-flight responses. Serge reflected beautifully on the importance of pause — not as passivity, but as creating enough space to reassess habitual reactions and discover more skillful ways of responding. Together we discussed safety, acceptance, mindfulness, embodiment, and the limits of human regulation, emphasizing that awareness is not about perfection, but about learning to meet ourselves and others with greater honesty, humility, and presence.
This was my second conversation with Serge, and he’s someone I always genuinely appreciate speaking with. I really enjoyed this conversation and the depth, nuance, and humanity that emerged throughout it, and I hope you do as well.
You can learn more about Serge at https://proactivemindfulness.com/
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You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com
Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g
