To Chill or Not To Chill: When Does Perseverance Become Toxic?

We're taught that perseverance is always a virtue, but what if the very trait we celebrate is quietly costing us our sense of meaning?

Michael Scarano, a healthcare veteran turned speaker and coach, joins us to unpack what he calls "toxic perseverance": pushing forward not from purpose, but from unexamined beliefs formed by trauma and unmet needs. We dig into the real difference between healthy resilience and burnout, how to tell if you're persevering toward something or just running from stopping, and what Aristotle's idea of eudaimonia, a genuinely flourishing life, not just a productive one, has to do with any of it.

The conversation also opens up into a candid discussion of ADHD, how the condition shapes the brain differently, and why it's finally getting more accurate attention in medicine and media.

Check out Michael Scarano's Ted Talk

Learn more about Michael's work and his book on Toxic Perserverance

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