Ep 83: My Life After Hate with Arno Michaelis
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Ep 83: My Life After Hate with Arno Michaelis
Episode 83: Show Notes
Today's story is as transformative and inspiring as any that we have had on this podcast. After an interesting and mostly healthy childhood, Arno Michaelis' teenage angst quickly turned into hatred and racism as he became involved in skinhead and white supremacist groups through his entanglement in the punk scene. This led to more and more violent and dangerous activities and for many years he walked a path of fear and anger, becoming increasingly estranged and distrustful of everything good in his life.
Our guest unpacks just how this process happened and the insidious ways that bigotry can creep into our lives when we are exposed to certain things in vulnerable states. We also get to hear about the social climate of this time during the '80s and '90s and how different groups and gangs clashed and connected.
Ultimately some pivotal moments allowed Arno to reevaluate his philosophy and prejudice. From becoming a father to a conversation with an elderly black woman at MacDonald's, certain forces pulled Arno away from the world of combat and aggression that he dived into as a young man.
The last part of our chat with Arno is spent looking at his life and work since distancing himself from white nationalism, and he talks about the campaigning he did for Barrack Obama, the books he has written, and the community work he continues to do with the Forgive Project. Tune in to hear it all!
Key Points From This Episode:
Arno's thoughts on destiny and why his experience does not fit that idea.
A little about Arno's family, his upbringing, and his favorite activities as a child.
The friend circle that Arno grew up around and the bullying he was involved in.
Breakdancing and fighting; the unlikely catalysts for Arno's burgeoning racism.
The ambitions that Arno had as a youngster: professional football, rock-stardom, and Playboy photography!
How Arno got involved in the punk scene, started drinking, and the influence of the 700 Club.
Arno's early experiences of skinheads and white supremacy gangs.
The complex and confusing history of the skinhead movement and its relationship to white supremacy.
How indoctrination and conspiracy theories work in the human mind.
Arno's young adulthood and the increasing violence and danger in his behavior.
A picture of Arno's life at this time and the feeling of everyone being an enemy.
The life-changing interaction that Arno had with an old black woman at MacDonald's!
Arno's amazing feeling of relief when he decided to disconnect from white nationalism.
How fatherhood positively influenced Arno's path to a more loving attitude.
Campaigning for Barrack Obama and the big shifts that happened in Arno's life.
The backstory of Arno's first book, My Life After Hate, and how this led to other activism.
Arno unpacks the power of forgiveness and the idea behind The Forgiveness Project.
The continual mission of bringing more light into the world!
Tweetables:
“I think I'm just too much of a being in motion to really put a lot of energy into the idea of destiny.” — Arno Michaelis [0:07:56]
“I am really mindful that my every thought and action is going to change the direction that I'm going and change the way I interact with the rest of the universe.” — Arno Michaelis [0:08:46]
“I really believe that all human beings create their own reality through the lens that they interact with the world through.” — Arno Michaelis [0:56:10]
“The lens that I had crafted myself told me that the color of my skin made me different than everyone else, superior to everyone else. At the same time, threatened by everyone else, and at war with everyone else.” — Arno Michaelis [0:56:25]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: