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The Overexamined Life
Athlete to Tetraplegic: How Paul Sagar Learned to Enjoy Life Again
Season 1, Ep. 109
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Paul Sagar was a world-class rock climber until a freak accident left him tetraplegic overnight, paralysed in all four limbs, torso, and pelvic organs, losing not just his body but the identity and dreams built around it. Paul is also a Cambridge-trained philosopher who teaches political theory at King's College London, and he brings that same rigour to unpacking his own experience, from the physical horror of his new reality to the depression that came with it. Somehow, and against every expectation, he's emerged with an ease around words like "lucky" and "happy" that most people couldn't muster on their best day. This is a hard listen that goes to some dark places before it climbs back out, but what Paul finds on the other side might change how you think about what actually matters.
Sick of being ruled by your emotions?
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Jonah writes on Substack
Email Jonah Primo at overexamined@jonahprimo.com
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