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Michael
Secondhand Therapy is presented by Pony bear Studios. For ad free episodes, head on over to patreon.com secondhand therapypod I know we talk about betterhelp a lot on this show, but now they're a sponsor.
Sinclair
They are a sponsor, dude.
Michael
I'm using BetterHelp. I'm loving it so far. It's so easy to find a therapist, find out what I'm looking for, and if it's not working out, because that has happened, I've been able to switch therapists with no problem at all.
Sinclair
Yeah, yeah, you had that one. That was not a good fit.
Michael
Not a good fit. Hey, and that happens. Finding good therapists is like, a lot like finding, you know, being out there in the dating world and finding the right partner for you.
Sinclair
And you're married now.
Michael
Never. Never.
Sinclair
You're in love now.
Michael
I have to talk about this with my therapist.
Sinclair
Dude, you're there. Can I meet this person? I don't even know their gender. Can I meet this person?
Michael
Absolutely not.
Sinclair
Let's do one together.
Michael
Well, we should sign up for couples therapy on BetterHelp.
Sinclair
I'll do it. You think I won't do it? You think I won't win couples therapy with you, dude? You think I'm not gonna walk out with the trophy?
Michael
I know you will.
Sinclair
All right, here's the good news. They really are a sponsor. And if you have wanted to get in therapy and maybe you don't know where to start, maybe you don't have insurance like us, you can go to BetterHelp. They were nice enough to give us a discount. So if you hear this, you can go to betterhelp.com secondhand therapy and you will get 10% off your first month. There's a link below the episode. Starting therapy. It helps. It really helps. No matter what you want to work on, give it a shot. Betterhelp.com secondhand therapy love you guys. Hello, my little bear cubs, and welcome back to another episode of Secondhand Therapy. No, I'm not sick. I have allergies. If you are in or Dear Las Vegas and have tips on allergies, text me personally.
Michael
They are killing him.
Sinclair
I'm. Someone's going to die.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Going to eat a bullet. Now we have a different kind of episode that we're doing today. Before we get into that, need to remind you that we're not therapists. We're not experts. This is not a substitute for therapy, and this is not professional advice in any way. I don't know that that applies to what we are doing.
Michael
Here.
Sinclair
But still true. That's still true.
Michael
Still true.
Sinclair
All right. We'd love feedback on this one because we're trying something new and we really love the idea and we hope it's fun. So what we're doing is you're going to sign up for Patreon. Okay.
Michael
It's a brand new thing.
Sinclair
Let me. I'll tell you what the episode is for sure. We're doing our first stab at a movie night. And what that is is we each watched a film separately and then we're going to come here and discuss it and unpack it through a therapy mental health lens. Because sometimes we need a break talking about therapy. And I don't know, we figured as an audience, maybe you'd like a little taste of something different. Do. Hopefully now go to Patreon before I die of allergies. Okay.
Michael
So this week, ideally.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Go there this week where there's tons of stuff available on Patreon, including access to episodes early. You get them on Friday instead of Monday. You get access to a completely different podcast called the Other show that's non therapy related. You get merch discounts. We do live hangouts on there.
Sinclair
Spitting. He's spitting.
Michael
Hey, dog. We got. I mean, we got all kinds of things on there. And if you sign up, we got stickers, boy. We got in the mailbox. We got a little. A little card that we sign.
Sinclair
Sign my name on it.
Michael
We got all kinds of stuff over there on Patreon.
Sinclair
Maybe even a T shirt.
Michael
Oh, that's right.
Sinclair
There's also a fourth tier. It's for the ultra rich. It's very exclusive.
Michael
Sign up for it, please. Make our year.
Sinclair
It's $10,000 a month. If you could pay for the year up front. Be great.
Michael
Make our year.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Change our lives.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
I think this is going out.
Sinclair
I think let's go down on the 16th.
Michael
I think I have an announcement then.
Sinclair
You do. It's past Valentine's Day.
Michael
It is.
Sinclair
Well, play the music.
Michael
Let's get into the episode. I wrote. I wrote a. I wrote a book.
Sinclair
He did.
Michael
I wrote a book. It's called Modern Love and Other Natural Disasters and it is available at Velvet Tiger books dot com. It's a bunch of short stories.
Sinclair
I don't know if you heard that the website is not secondhand therapy pod because my boy got published. You know about. You know about publishers. You pre order indie publisher. And it's.
Michael
And that's mine. And that's mine.
Sinclair
Velvet Tiger books dot com.
Michael
Velvet Tiger books dot com. You can pre order your copy right now. It comes out on March 31st. But I'm. I'm also doing some. A limited edition of signed copies. And you get stickers and you get bookmarks, and you get a little special surprise in there. And I sign the copy of the book. And that is at Velvet.
Sinclair
That's what he meant by signed copies, is he's gonna sign the copy of the book. You guys. I don't know if you. If you were tracking that, but yeah.
Michael
Head on over there.
Sinclair
And also if you do the pre order, you're gonna get your book a little early. We're gonna start shipping those out around St. Patrick's Day.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah.
Sinclair
Velvet Tiger books.com patreon.com secondhand therapy pod. And our merch is available. Secondhand therapy podcast.
Michael
And you can contact us.
Sinclair
Yeah, that's enough.
Michael
Okay.
Sinclair
All the info's below the episode. If you're watching this on YouTube or if you're on Spotify or wherever, like, subscribe, leave a good review, pre order the book. Join Patreon. Buy a hoodie. Give me. I'm already taking local bee pollen. I don't want to hear it. Give me something else.
Michael
Sinclair, we love you.
Sinclair
Oh, we didn't tell the movie, did we?
Michael
No.
Sinclair
Okay, so the movie. Hope you didn't skip the intro. We flipped a coin. I won. I got to pick first. It is Seeking a Friend for the End of the World from 2012, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. Do you know your pick for the next time we do this?
Michael
Ah, no. Perfect.
Sinclair
All right, play the music. Let's talk about it. Hello, my little bear cubs.
Michael
And welcome back Secondhand Therapy.
Sinclair
And we know that the movie opens.
Michael
Best opening ever.
Sinclair
Steve Carell sitting in the car with his wife. On the radio, they hear the announcement that a meteor is headed toward Earth. It will wipe out all life on the planet. And I think it's like 21 days or something.
Michael
I think it's sooner than I think it's. I think it's 14 or something like that.
Sinclair
Okay. And Steve Carell's wife looks at him in horror and sprints away from the car. Yeah. And from there. This is where we're going to start talking. Steve Carell.
Michael
I just got. This is the best opening. Yeah. To a film. It was so short and to the point. It just like. We just got there right away. I love that. Yeah.
Sinclair
We're not doing film review.
Michael
I know, but I just love that about this thing.
Sinclair
Yeah. And then it's gonna go on and Steve Carell, for a little while just continues going to work. He's one of very few people who continue going to work, going to the gym. So what. What's your move, dude? You hear that? The world is going to end in 14 days. Yeah. Your wife clearly doesn't want to see you ever again.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
What are you doing? Let's say no wife. Let's just do us. Yeah.
Michael
That's the thing. Like, I was really. When Patton Oswald's character came on, I was like, is that who I would be in the Apocalypse? Like, he's just talking orgies and doing drugs. They're like, at this house party, and.
Sinclair
There'S like, yeah, Rob Cordry's there. He's just hammered.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
The sun is miserable. They're all. They're all just partying.
Michael
Yeah. And I'm like, would I fall into that, like. Or would I keep my morals, do you think?
Sinclair
Well, what they're doing is coping.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
They're just coping with substances and sex.
Michael
I definitely wouldn't keep going to the gym or going to my job.
Sinclair
Like, define keep.
Michael
I wouldn't start going to the gym or going to a job. You know what I mean? Like, what the fuck are you doing at that point? Like, I don't. Breaking the routine is.
Sinclair
Okay.
Michael
So I'm doing that.
Sinclair
Now when you say, would you start having sex with everybody or would you keep your morals? Now I'm confused.
Michael
I mean, like, you know, they're doing heroin in the living room and just eating and drinking whatever they want and whatever they want and, you know, again.
Sinclair
Where'S the meteor? You know?
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
So do you think you would go straight into coping, or would you. What do you think happens as.
Michael
As the movie went on, I found myself more relating to sad boy Steve. And I think I. I think I would be a blend of both of those. I think I would be on a mission of some kind of purpose. But also along the way, hey, what are we doing to see in the world?
Sinclair
Well, his. As he goes along, he meets Keira Knightley, who he learns is his neighbor, I think, from upstairs. She has a grip of his mail over the last year or two. And in that mail that she finally gives him, now that the world's ending and they met each other, is a letter from, of course, the one that got away from Steve Carell.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And they decide to go find her now. On the way, they hitch a ride with a gentleman who paid a hitman.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Essentially assisted suicide. And I gotta tell you, don't hate it.
Michael
I was really struggling with. Do you end it before or do you. I think my fear of missing out wouldn't allow me to end it before. Cause I'd be like, well, what if it misses us and everything's fine?
Sinclair
Oh, the anti anxiety's coming out now.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
What if everything's okay?
Michael
I'm like, yeah, I'd be like, what if I fucking hire somebody, they kill me, and then we find out, oops, we got it wrong, and then I'm just dead. Oh, buddy. The ultimate fear of missing out.
Sinclair
I got bad news for you. Yeah, this sounds a heavy bit like narcissism. I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm sorry about that.
Michael
How? Because you don't want to miss out on life.
Sinclair
Because you. You think, yeah, it's not it. We're doing movie night.
Michael
No, I want to know. That's not narcissism. That's survival. I'm gonna kill myself. And then everything gets fixed and you're like, oh, fuck, I could have not done that. Yeah, that's not narcissism. That's survival.
Sinclair
That's. That's worried about.
Michael
How is that narcissism?
Sinclair
Because it's all about you.
Michael
We're taught. You asked if you're gonna hire an assassin.
Sinclair
I know.
Michael
We're not talking about how are you gonna fix the problem for humanity.
Sinclair
Okay, let me.
Michael
That's what we're talking about.
Sinclair
I know you're not hearing what I'. Okay, so last week when we were talking as well, we were talking about the universe. You know, something good happens and the universe takes it away.
Michael
Right.
Sinclair
Also, there's narcissism in there.
Michael
Sure.
Sinclair
So it's same ballpark. Okay. I kind of down with the assistance too. I get it.
Michael
I totally get it.
Sinclair
But yeah, I don't think I would do it either. And also the assassin, that's what they're doing, right. For as. Is it a hobby.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
What's the money for?
Michael
Where's the money?
Sinclair
Yeah, Yeah. I.
Michael
So you're seeing it all the way through.
Sinclair
Oh, yeah. Wow. Yeah.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
You too?
Michael
Yeah, I think I have to.
Sinclair
And what are you. What are you doing with these two weeks or three. Three weeks or whatever it is. I've been thinking about that.
Michael
Yeah. And I gotta. I gotta give you. I gotta give everybody a warning. This film will give you the urge to unblock your ex. It's gonna be a real stronger courage. And you gotta fight through it. Okay.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
You gotta fight my boy. I can see the fight.
Sinclair
I can see that happening, buddy. Yeah.
Michael
This movie is all about, like, for me, it was so many themes going on. Right. There's different attachment styles, of course, between the two main characters. There's a lot of accountability happening in this film.
Sinclair
Also very different. Very different desires.
Michael
Yes.
Sinclair
Steve Carell is all about finding lost love. And Keira Knightley wants to do is find a way back to her family.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah. The main thing that I took away from this was the theme of, it's not too late. It's never too late for anything. Redemption, forgiveness, love for repair. It's never too late.
Sinclair
What about chasing your dream?
Michael
What do you mean?
Sinclair
I want to be a movie star.
Michael
It's never too late for that.
Sinclair
Get the out of here.
Michael
You could be a movie star at.
Sinclair
The end of the world.
Michael
I thought. Okay. No, not at the end of the world.
Sinclair
It can be too late.
Michael
I'm sorry. Okay.
Sinclair
Don't say. You do not say tism.
Michael
Oh, my God.
Sinclair
Do not say tism to me. Sure, go ahead. It's not too late.
Michael
It's not too late.
Sinclair
And then what?
Michael
Because there's a moment where, I mean, his father even. That's between him and his father. I think his father even says it's never too late.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
And there's also sacrifice in this film. I mean, there's just so much going on. That man wrecked me. I didn't know it was gonna do that to me.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Like, the first. Probably the first half hour, it was like a slow burn for me. And I was like, all right. I'm kind of just, like, mosing my way through this film. And then, buddy, I can't stop thinking about it.
Sinclair
You're welcome.
Michael
I've just been like, what am I doing with my life? What do I need to be doing? Okay. My therapist and I talked about it today about, like. He talked about the movie about purpose.
Sinclair
I'm doing the Lord's work out here.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Yeah, that's for next week. Okay.
Michael
What about you? What do you got going on over there, man?
Sinclair
Will I go see my family? I'm not staying there, though.
Michael
Must be nice.
Sinclair
Whatever. Go see my family. I'm sure. I mean, truly, what I want to do is be with my girl and my dog and go see. I've never seen. Maybe.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Drive around. Go see Yosemite. Go. Like, also in the film, planes are grounded. They're not flying anybody anywhere.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Traffic's a nightmare in the cities. Everybody's running all that.
Michael
There's riots happening. I mean. Yeah, yeah.
Sinclair
We're the dumbest species ever.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah.
Sinclair
Hey, it's ending. Let's throw a tantrum.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Yeah. So ideally, I would like to just be with my girl and.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Go see some pretty stuff and be scared together.
Michael
Are you doing hard drugs?
Sinclair
No.
Michael
You're not going out. Are you going out of your comfort zone a little bit in kind of like a wild way at all, or you just. You're keeping it close to the heart.
Sinclair
And if there's really anything I, like, really wanted to try, but I can't think of anything that falls into that.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
It was the thing I. One of the things I learned about myself watching. Because I had seen this before.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And watching it again, I was. Because when you open in there at the house party and everybody's just up.
Michael
I get it.
Sinclair
Because even for someone like me who just processes a factual thing as, okay, the world's ending, what are you gonna do about it? Like, there, the amount of fear.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Of here's when you're gonna die, you have no clue what it's gonna feel like. That's terrifying. And I think for me, if I'm thinking about the moment I'm gonna die via this meteor, I think the thing I really want most is connection.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And you can't do that if you're just numbing your entire self out to the fear. Part of that connection is being afraid.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And being afraid with somebody else and knowing it's not going to be okay.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
It's gonna fucking suck. And I don't know. I think really the thing I would want most would be to feel not alone. And I think the only way to do that is through connection. Are you gonna cry right now?
Michael
No, I just. I'm. I think I'm way too lonely to watch this movie at this point.
Sinclair
Well, you already did, so let's hear.
Michael
Yeah. You know what I mean? I was just like. The whole time, I was like, oh, man, this is. Yeah. Yeah. I don't. I mean. Yeah. I don't know.
Sinclair
No, you do know. What? Don't know. Look over here. What?
Michael
It's just, you know, like, you know, when I'm thinking about it, in a tragedy like this.
Sinclair
You think, is it.
Michael
A tragedy, the world ending?
Sinclair
I mean, the rest of the universe gotta be celebrating. I would think they're just waiting for us to up the rest of it.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't. I don't belong anywhere. That's. That's a hard thing to come around to after watching a quirky little movie. You know, you're like, oh, yeah. If this Were really happening. Like, all of my close friends are booed up. They got their own lives and things happening and their own priorities. So, like, that ain't happening. I'm not gonna like join them and be some kind of weird apocalypse third wheel or fifth wheel.
Sinclair
If they have family, what would people think?
Michael
Like, not about what people think. It's just like, what am I? Like, there is no place for me. I don't have family.
Sinclair
So what do you want to do?
Michael
I would. I would like to be with somebody.
Sinclair
That's kind of the point of the movie.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Her family's overseas. If you don't know Kira Knightley, she British. Steve Carell's wife ran away from him.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And that's what they do. They form a connection.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And they die together.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
That's the point of the movie.
Michael
Now, did I cry when he put her on that plane? And. Yeah, like.
Sinclair
So we'll give you another plot point. Are you taking maka yet? I. I am and.
Michael
It'S pretty cool. Yeah, I'm only on day three.
Sinclair
Yeah. Which one are you taking? You on the black. Yeah, I do the black too. I do the black and I do the tri blend.
Michael
Oh, you do too?
Sinclair
I do too. Okay, technically three, because the blend is a blend of three. Okay, well, so if you don't know about maca, it is a root native to Peru. It grows in three colors. Black, red, and yellow. Or yellow. Or yellow. Yellow or yellow. I take the black and I take the tri blend. My girl takes the red and you take the black.
Michael
I do.
Sinclair
Typically, yeah. Men take the black, women take the red and then you intersperse the tribalnd. But it has a lot of benefits. I've been taking it daily for a little over a year. I have noticed a lot mood, skin, hair, energy, if you heard testosterone, you know, libido. I've had a lot of improvements.
Michael
Yeah, all true.
Sinclair
And we get. Well, I get our. I get my maca. And I have been from a company called the maca team. They are the biggest supplier of genuine maca from Peru. The biggest supplier in America. And they are nice enough to partner with. Partner with us and give a discount code. If you want to try out maca, you can go to the makateam.com secondhand therapy and you can use code bear cub for 10 off.
Michael
Oh, fancy.
Sinclair
So yeah, if you want to try some maca, try it out, dudes. Try the black. Ladies, try the red or try the try, but at least go to the website, read about it, see if you Might want to do it. It's not pharmaceutical. It's all natural. I've been taking it for over a year. I like it. You're three days in, you're less annoying. So we did it.
Michael
We did it.
Sinclair
Themaka team.com secondhand therapy. Check it out.
Michael
Hey, if you're tired of hearing these ads, which I'm sure you are, you should head on over to Patreon. There are ad free episodes and early access to episodes. You could be hearing this a week early along with Exit along with access to a an entirely different podcast. Some would say a better one called the other shit show.
Sinclair
It is fun.
Michael
It's non therapy related.
Sinclair
It is fun.
Michael
Super fun. Plus you have, you have early access to my new podcast series, Happy Not Funny. And it's ad free episodes on that as well. Merch discounts. Also fun live show things where we interact with the audience.
Sinclair
Live streams is what he's trying to say.
Michael
We are not going on tour. Yeah, that's true. What did I say?
Sinclair
You said live shows.
Michael
Well, same, same. You know, it's like a live show. Nope, it's like a zoom.
Sinclair
Okay.
Michael
Anyways, you'll have access to us in a more intimate manner.
Sinclair
Intimate.
Michael
How about that?
Sinclair
Intimate. There's no end.
Michael
Yeah, like the candidate. Like the candies.
Sinclair
Intimate.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Also, if you sign up, you get a little treat.
Michael
Oh yeah.
Sinclair
So check out the different tiers. One of the tiers is just if you're just here for secondhand therapy, you want no ads, we'll send you a dope little sticker. And I'm going to be honest with you, a lot of time went into designing this sticker. Yeah, too much. You can argue too much. It's a dope sticker though. So if you sign up for that tier, we'll send you a sticker. The next tier, if you want the other podcast, if you want the bonus stuff from secondhand therapy, all the little extras, you get the sticker and we going to send you a signed print designed by yours truly. That took way too much time. Still way too much time. We'll sign it, we'll send it out to you. And then we have the top tier with the live streams. If you want to hang out with us a couple times a month, you get the sticker, the print and we'll send you a T shirt that we are not selling or getting anywhere else. So check out Patreon. If you sign up, you get some treats and it's a good way to support the podcast.
Michael
We'll see you over there.
Sinclair
Thanks. So Kieran Knightley's mission is to get to an airplane. All the commercial airplanes are grounded. Steve Carell just wants to get to this woman's house. And he tells her, I know a guy with a plane. If you get me to this house, I'll get you to a plane.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
As the movie goes, they obviously have some obstacles. They do get to this woman's house, Steve Carell decides. He writes her letter, puts it on the door and leaves it be. Yeah.
Michael
Can we pause? What a beautiful moment of realizing what's in front of you and what you've been chasing and not continuing to settle for what you're chasing. Go on.
Sinclair
Yeah. You would have forgot the girl was in the car.
Michael
Right.
Sinclair
There would have been a Malone shaped hole in the door and Karen Knightley would have. Where did he go? He leaves the thing on the door, gets back in the car. Karen Knightley goes, what? What? Is she home? And he goes, yeah, I think so. He goes, I don't want to talk about it. I'm gonna get you to the plane.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And we learn that the plane belongs to Steve Carell's father.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Who he has not seen or spoken to in 25 years.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And there's no resolution to their relationship. At the end of the world, he just basically spends some time with his dad, the three of them. And then. Small plot point. Cure nightly heavy sleeping disorder or something.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Impossible to wake up. So while she is asleep, they have a great last night together. While she is asleep, he puts her on an airplane and Steve Carell's dad takes off with her. He's gonna fly her home to her family.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And then Steve Carell goes back to his apartment alone.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Yeah. That is a crazy, selfless thing to do.
Michael
Yeah. I think in both accounts. Right. Like leaving the letter and. And putting her on the plane.
Sinclair
I don't know that leaving the letter is selfless because then is. If she finds it, she's like, come say hi.
Michael
Yeah. I guess it's the. Not the. The. No interruption.
Sinclair
Yeah. Yeah. I could see that.
Michael
Yeah. When clearly she's reached out and been like, hey, I've been thinking about you. You're the one that got away. Love of my life. I think she says, yeah, you're the love life. Yeah. But even then, he doesn't disrupt.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
You're not putting her on the plane, huh?
Michael
Yeah, of course I am. Of course I am. Because. But for different reasons.
Sinclair
What's the reason?
Michael
Well, We already know the reason, and the reason is because she'll leave anyways and hurt me. So I gotta leave first. So put her on the plane and I'll get out of here. I'll go on and get out and get on out of here.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
And. Yeah.
Sinclair
So how are you gonna not be alone at the end of the world then?
Michael
Yeah, that's. And hey. And there's the conundrum. Yeah. You know, so without the self sabotage. There's the pickle. There's the pickle. I'm in. My guy.
Sinclair
So any. Anyone who. Any type of philosophy person might say, do you actually not want to be alone at the end of the world?
Michael
I don't know. Yeah. Yeah.
Sinclair
Why would you want to be. Do you think.
Michael
It's easier.
Sinclair
Than.
Michael
It's easier than, you know, bothering someone?
Sinclair
Bothering them?
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
What's the. What's the bother? You're imposing on these people or this person. Open your eyes, though.
Michael
I don't want to. Just, you know, handling me.
Sinclair
Yeah. Because you're a lot.
Michael
Yup.
Sinclair
So I might say too much. Hey, I know one person that says that.
Michael
I've read the Yelp reviews.
Sinclair
I know you wrote them.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah, man.
Sinclair
Damn. Yeah, it's about. I think you would be. You would want to be alone. Yeah, you would. It would just be the last fucking self punishment you could do.
Michael
It really? Would that sound. You know, now that you're talking about it sounds pretty great. Why am I attracted to that?
Sinclair
Why?
Michael
Anyways.
Sinclair
Oh, it doesn't sound. You think it sounds great. I literally lab it labeled it self punishment and you said it does sound pretty great.
Michael
I know.
Sinclair
Whoops. Oopsie.
Michael
Oopsie.
Sinclair
I've said the wrong thing out loud.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Damn.
Michael
I don't. And here's the. I don't know why I'm attracted to that. Oh, yeah, I do. Yeah, I do. And it's control.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Yeah. If I self sabotage it, then I can control it. If I don't, then I don't get to control how or when I. Or if I get hurt.
Sinclair
Here's something I'm a little confused about. When I said my plan of essentially just wandering. Yeah.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Does. To you. Does that sound like I belong somewhere?
Michael
You have someone. You have people. You have. You have your girl, you have your dog. You have family. You have. You know, you already have it. You already have everything you need. Whether you wander or not, you've arrived. You know, I don't. Yeah, you've already. You found it, dude. You got it.
Sinclair
What did I find?
Michael
Connection and love and all those things.
Sinclair
Where Did I find it?
Michael
You have a person, and you have a little life you built with this person, and so you already have the connection and family and everything. You already have it.
Sinclair
When I talk about my family, does it sound like we're connected?
Michael
You're asking the wrong person because.
Sinclair
No, I'm asking you, the person who hears me talk about my family the most.
Michael
Yeah, it's family. That's what family is, man.
Sinclair
I'm not seeking someone with a title of a blood relation. I'm seeking connection. Yeah, that's the same.
Michael
That's not the same, but it's. The family's important, whether you get along or don't get along, and whether you make them a priority or not at the end of the world is different.
Sinclair
Well, let me drop a layer on it for you.
Michael
Okay.
Sinclair
I watched this movie with my girl.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And.
Michael
And she was like, I'm out of here. I'm gonna go do Molly. Yeah.
Sinclair
No, she's done a lot of Molly. She knows what she's missing. Yeah. She's like, oh, I'm gonna go be with my family. Like, her and her sisters, super tight.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And I said, damn, how do we say goodbye? Yeah. She's like, oh, you're gonna be there with me. And I was like, that's not what I'm doing. I was like, I want to be with you. And it's. It's. It was this weird thing.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
It was this weird realization. She's like, oh, I want to go. Like, I want to go be with my sisters. And I'm like, oh, I just want to be with you.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And. And I'm also like, okay, your. S. Like, your sisters have kids. They have partners that, like. And I kind of think of that with my family as well.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Like, I would. I. I'm gonna go see my family. But my sister has a kid. She has a. Like, she wants to be with her little family.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
And my mom wants to be with her. Like, I want to see them, but they have people more important than me, and I have people more. I have somebody more important than them to me in my life. Yeah. And it was a weird thing of, like, would I just go be an accessory to my girl while she spends with her family? And I don't think I would.
Michael
You would go off on your own? Could you?
Sinclair
You're not invited.
Michael
I mean, what are you doing? I mean, hypothetically, what are you doing?
Sinclair
What are the coordinates? Just, like, what are the coordinates?
Michael
Where are you at? Do you want to go to the Habit?
Sinclair
Yeah. I think I would go wander.
Michael
But could you?
Sinclair
Well, what are you asking? Is it could I go die alone under the stars or could I leave my girl?
Michael
Could you leave your girl to go die under the stars, wander by yourself?
Sinclair
Yeah, honestly, I don't know. That would be hard.
Michael
I mean, the choice is either, like you said, be an accessory.
Sinclair
Well, we talked about it's even she, she came around, she's like, yeah, I don't know if that's where I'd want it to end. Yeah, I was like, yeah, I get it. But I mean, that's not the point. The point was like, yeah, the idea of if you're like Steve Crow and his wife, yeah. They're like, oh, this ain't it. But if me and my girl, if we're like, I love you so much. She's like, I have to end this with my family. And I'm like, I have to end this with you. Like with like, I want to be with you and yeah, I want to say goodbye to all our people, tell them we love them and I want to end the earth time being scared and comforting each other and. Because that's what we're going to be doing with your family anyway. Yeah, that's the reality of it. It's going to be me and you.
Michael
And.
Sinclair
Yeah, I'd like to do it under the star somewhere.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
But yeah, it's a weird thought though. Because even if. Are you tired of staring at your phone? Are you addicted to it?
Michael
Oh my God, are you? Yeah. Well, yeah, like everybody else. Sure.
Sinclair
Okay. All right, well, I got a new. Let me tell these people about my new phone.
Michael
Okay? Okay.
Sinclair
It's called the light phone.
Michael
Oh, I've heard about that.
Sinclair
The light. Yeah, you seem to use it. The light phone. Also known some people call it a dumb phone. Anyway, it's a smartphone, it has Internet, but the Internet will only get you navigation. There is no email, there is no social media, nothing like that. It does calls, it does texts, it does navigation, it has a calendar and a flashlight.
Michael
It's like having a BlackBerry again.
Sinclair
Kinda O. Yeah, I love that. It has a pretty cool camera too.
Michael
I'm not gonna lie.
Sinclair
Yeah, it's got a dope camera on it. It's got a camera, yeah. Anyway, they were nice enough, they sent us a little discount code if anybody wants to get on the light phone train with us. So there's a link in the episode description for the light phone. And then if you want to pre order the light phone three use code, secondhand therapy. All Lowercase. Try out a light phone. It's pretty great.
Michael
Stop your doom scrolling.
Sinclair
Stop your doom scrolling. Be more present in life. Link down below, Promo code. Secondhand therapy. All lowercase. Check out a light phone. Join us in the present world. Even if she says, I do have to, I have to end it with my family. And I'm like, hey, that's. That's just not what I want. That doesn't mean I don't. That means. Doesn't mean I love her less. That doesn't mean she loves me less. It means we still love each other a lot, and we're gonna do it from two separate spaces. And that sucks. But. Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. It's sad. It's really sad.
Michael
Yeah, but.
Sinclair
Truly, I mean, if. If that. If it did come to a hard line like that, and she's like, this is what I want, and I'm like, this is what I want. And we let each other have that, that's okay.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
It's sad, but it's okay. You don't like that? I think I'm reading.
Michael
No, I. No, I think it's very poetic. I was wondering if you could even.
Sinclair
They call me Louis Shakespeare.
Michael
Even if I'm wondering if you could actually tear yourself apart from Community, like, whether it's your family or her family. It's the end of the world. Everybody's panicking and loving and coming together. Are you gonna actually be able to leave those little tribes? Whether it's yours or hers?
Sinclair
Yeah, it's a. Yeah.
Michael
Because, I mean, the idea. Of course. Yeah. Like, me and her will go off, we'll do this, and it's like.
Sinclair
I think that's where autism comes in.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Yeah. Because I'm just gonna be like, we're dead in 12 hours.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
No matter what happens here, me, her, him, all of us dead.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
There's no regret. There will be zero regret in 12 hours and one minute. Zero regret. It's all. None of it matters.
Michael
That's 12 hours for them to be mad at me. I can't believe I left. What an.
Sinclair
They're gonna be mad at me for eternity.
Michael
They're going to. They're going to go to their graves being mad at me. That guy. Yeah. Couldn't hang out. End of the world. He couldn't make it.
Sinclair
Oh, my God. Yeah, that would be. Yeah, that's. It's very. It's a very interesting thought.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Like, yeah. Could I leave? Would I. If I did, would she be like, oh, that's really What I want. Or would she be like, this is really what I want?
Michael
Yeah. Wow.
Sinclair
I hope he gets what he wants out there in his truck with his dog, you know?
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Yeah. Leaving would be hard. It would be really hard. Do you think there's anything in you that tries to like make a bunker or something and see if you can get. Get through it?
Michael
Oh, God. Yeah. When they meet up with her ex and he's got like the whole like military base underneath. Not a military base, but like a bunker and some military dudes and arsenal and whatever.
Sinclair
I think it's 12 inch thick titanium walls.
Michael
Yeah. And he's like, we can survive for six months under here. Yeah.
Sinclair
Repopulate the earth. She's a top tier female. Hey.
Michael
Hey.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
I'm starting to see why she didn't stick around. I don't know. I think curiosity might get me there.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
I think I could be talked into it. I don't think it's going to be my own idea. I don't think it's going to be like, I have to figure out how to survive if somewhere along the way I run into people like that who are like, hey, this is what we're doing. I'd be like, well, you're gonna have.
Sinclair
To talk to them. Yeah. I don't know if you know that.
Michael
And maybe, hey, maybe in a, you know, I hang with them for a couple hours. I'm like, this ain't it. I don't want to survive. I gotta hang out. These fucking guys. Yeah. How bad do you have to be as a person if people are choosing the fucking end of the world over your bunker?
Sinclair
He's got to be a Republican.
Michael
He's chewing his mouth open.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
I can't survive with this guy.
Sinclair
Yeah. What a weird thing.
Michael
Yeah, it. Yeah. We unpacked a lot in therapy about this stupid little film.
Sinclair
You want to do it now or you want to do it next week? If it's about the film, you should do it now.
Michael
Yeah, it was just bringing up again a lot of like, sorry, guys, I lied.
Sinclair
Movie nights over.
Michael
It was just. It was just bringing up a lot of, again, those thoughts of purpose. And I don't know, I think this movie was really motivating in those ways. Obi. And what are you doing? What are you doing with your life? You didn't, you didn't like that?
Sinclair
I just could not relate less to that.
Michael
Really.
Sinclair
Yeah. Oh, man, that movie gave me the ultimate. Oh, nothing matters. Yeah. I was like, oh, yeah, nothing matters. You went to productivity. Yeah. Jesus. Get him on the phone. Okay. So what are you doing, Michael?
Michael
I don't know, man. Wow. I don't know.
Sinclair
So when you say it brought up in that, what does that mean? Like, where did you go?
Michael
Just looking at again. What am I. What, what is my day to day? Like, what am I doing with my life?
Sinclair
Okay.
Michael
Because. Yeah, you, you know, you're like, your time is limited and so what are you doing? And. Yeah. And who are you doing it with and who do you want to spend time with? And these are some of the hardest questions for me to answer. What do I want to be doing? I don't know. Who do I want to be doing it with? Someone that's not going to hurt me.
Sinclair
Who's that?
Michael
I don't. And I don't know.
Sinclair
Is that a real person?
Michael
They're probably out there. Maybe.
Sinclair
Open your eyes when you say it.
Michael
They're probably out there.
Sinclair
Really?
Michael
But I. He. Okay, well, here. Okay, here's a better answer.
Sinclair
Hold on. Stutter one more time and then tell me. I want you to really convince me on this.
Michael
Such a cunt.
Sinclair
What?
Michael
They are probably out there. And whether they hurt me or not doesn't matter. I need to be able to take the risk and see it through. And I'm not there yet.
Sinclair
And.
Michael
And what?
Sinclair
Even if they hurt you, you're gonna be okay.
Michael
Yeah. That's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't matter. Yeah. If they hurt me or not. Like that's okay. Yeah. Yeah. And.
Sinclair
And there's no one out there that's not going to hurt you. Because people hurt each other, whether it's on purpose or not. That's just part of being human.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
So where does one find a perfect person? Where do you get one? Let me know. Just the one person who's never gonna hurt you.
Michael
I don't. It's not. Isn't that. It's not little hurts. I'm worried about it. It's the big hurt. Yeah, man.
Sinclair
I want to call you out on that one.
Michael
Okay.
Sinclair
You turn little hurts into big hurts as a form of self sabotage. And we know that you putting my.
Michael
Business out there, I mean. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Sinclair
So what are you worried about?
Michael
I don't know.
Sinclair
Yeah.
Michael
Bothering somebody. Yeah. Because if I bother them, then they're gonna hurt me and I don't want that. I don't get hurt.
Sinclair
But even if they just go, yeah, I think I need like an hour of space.
Michael
That's not. I'm. I'm.
Sinclair
And then you go, oh, my God, they Hate me. Oh, no, I'm.
Michael
I'm better than that now.
Sinclair
That's true.
Michael
Yeah. Yeah. Like I said, I think I was too lonely to watch this movie.
Sinclair
Yeah. All right, Next week, Survivor. Yeah. This is Cast Away. We're doing Castaway next week.
Michael
This movie just beat the out of me and I did not expect it.
Sinclair
Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Because again, one big reason we do these separately. He watches movies in 10 minute chunks.
Michael
I had a halfway point on this one and I ate some food and did some work and then I came back and finished it. Yes.
Sinclair
Well, you finished it the next day.
Michael
Oh, I did finish it the next day.
Sinclair
Yeah. I know.
Michael
Okay.
Sinclair
I had some food in it.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Few hours of unconscious. This fucking guy.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
As soon as I asked how much have you watched? You're like, it's a little slow. I was like, this fucking guy.
Michael
It was.
Sinclair
Turn it back on. Turn it back on. I promise you, you're gonna get there. All right. One out of ten. What'd you think of the movie?
Michael
I'm giving an eight.
Sinclair
It's pretty high. That's nice.
Michael
Yeah, I'm.
Sinclair
And Steve Carell is one of those ones. He's like an Adam Sandler for me that I love. A non comedy. Steve Carell.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
This Dan in real life.
Michael
Like, dude Dan in real life.
Sinclair
Dan in real life is so incredible soundtrack, buddy. Yeah. I love. I love a Steve Carell doing some acting.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Non comedic acting because he's a great comedic actor as well. Yeah, I think it's good. Might go 8, 8, 2, 83 maybe for me. I really like that movie. I love that film. So what's your ideal? You're in love. And she's also an orphan. And you guys can.
Michael
Two orphans.
Sinclair
You guys can go to Freddy's and get a burger and.
Michael
Yeah, I hit an orgy on the way home.
Sinclair
Would you eat one medium rare steak?
Michael
I know. Why would I. Why would I.
Sinclair
Day. The meteor's coming.
Michael
Maybe I don't want to spend my last few hours being uncomfortable. Why do you want me to be uncomfortable so much?
Sinclair
You exist. Uncomfortable. You're constantly uncomfortable.
Michael
Yeah.
Sinclair
Cheesecake. You trying some cheesecake?
Michael
Maybe.
Sinclair
Oh, my God. You're gonna eat chicken and rice till you die. I heard you.
Michael
Until I die. God damn.
Sinclair
Damn it.
Michael
I'm going to starve at the end of the world. Nothing's going to be open.
Sinclair
Yeah. Yeah. You one guy. He didn't even make it.
Michael
He didn't. We had three days left.
Sinclair
45. What the emaciated.
Michael
Just jar of peanut butter next to me. I'm dead. Yeah, he ran out.
Sinclair
He. He didn't even eat it.
Michael
He.
Sinclair
It. You got to be kidding.
Michael
This guy.
Sinclair
And we know that. Jesus.
Michael
That's a bear.
Sinclair
It's not.
Episode: #118 – [Movie Night] If the World Ended in 14 Days… Who Would You Choose? | Attachment, Self-Sabotage & Seeking a Friend
Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Louie Paoletti (“Sinclair”) and Michael Malone
Podcast Theme: Two best friends with no therapy licenses unpack therapy, mental health, and life, blending humor, honesty, and personal reflection.
This episode introduces a new "Movie Night" format, where Louie and Michael each watch a film separately and then discuss it through a mental health lens. For the inaugural round, Louie picked Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. The hosts explore what the film teaches about coping, connection, attachment, and facing the end—reflecting on both the movie and their lives in heartfelt, funny, and self-aware ways.
Opening Scene & Apocalypse Setup
“Best opening ever. ...We just got there right away. I love that.” (Michael, 07:19)
How Would You Spend Your Last 14 Days?
Debate: Would they party, self-medicate, seek connection, or stick to routine?
Both agree they wouldn’t just keep going to work or the gym.
Coping mechanisms (drug use, orgies, substance abuse) are seen in the film and discussed as avoidance of fear and death.
Sinclair emphasizes the desire for connection in facing the end:
“The thing I would want most would be to feel not alone. And I think the only way to do that is through connection.” (19:17)
Sinclair asks whether Michael is more comfortable punishing himself by being alone than bothering others or risking another hurt.
Michael openly questions his own patterns:
“I don’t know why I’m attracted to that… Oh yeah I do. It’s control.” (32:28–32:38)
Michael: “Would you go off on your own? Could you?” (36:38)
Sinclair: “I wanna be with my girl and my dog… go see Yosemite… go see some pretty stuff and be scared together.” (16:42, 17:31)
They note the reality that people often want their “tribe” in the end, but the lines of connection (family, romance, chosen family) are complex.
Michael admits the struggle between fearing hurt and the need to risk connection:
“They are probably out there… and whether they hurt me or not doesn’t matter. I need to be able to take the risk and see it through. And I’m not there yet.” (47:22)
Sinclair’s closing wisdom:
“Even if they hurt you, you’re gonna be okay. … People hurt each other, whether it’s on purpose or not. That’s just part of being human.” (47:36, 47:50)
Through this “movie night” mental health lens, Louie and Michael unpack modern existential dread, attachment, the complexity of relationships, and the hard work of vulnerability. Both the film and the episode urge listeners to reflect on how they spend their time, who they need most, and how to face connection—or aloneness—with honest, sometimes hard-earned self-acceptance.