Rethinking our Rites of Passage, Dr Arne Rubinstein

Bringing Community Back Together |Season 2 Episode 1 | Dr Arne Rubinstein | Rites of Passage Institute """The question is not whether they'll go through a rite of passage, because they will. The question is, can we create something healthy for them, rather than having them create their own, which can be disastrous.....The transformation of a rite of passage is a change in our beliefs and values about ourselves and the world." Welcome to Season 2 . To kick off our next conversations about community, connection and our collective wellbeing, Samantha Heron sits down with Dr Arne Rubinstein OAM — GP turned emergency medicine doctor turned rites of passage pioneer. In this episode, Arne shares: - **Journey from an ER doctor to a ROP Leader in the hills of Mullumbimby** What he saw in his emergency medicine years that convinced him teenagers were creating their own — often dangerous — rites of passage in the absence of community guided and supported ones - **A wellbeing graph that changed his career direction**: life satisfaction peaking at 12, plunging between 14 and 18, and not recovering until around 70, he needed to know why... - **A framework for the shift from child psychology to healthy adult psychology** — "I'm not the centre of the universe, I'm part of the universe" - **Why he believes Western culture has lost its respect for elders**: "We worship youth, and many are stuck in an adolescent way of thinking" - **The concept of liminal space**, and a disarmingly honest story about a single sentence from a childhood choir teacher that still shapes him today Arne's book *The Making of Men* first reframed how Samantha understood adolescence and community. This conversation feels like a natural way to open Season 2. Where Season 1 asked of us to rethink how we live ( Savannah Fishel) , how we measure progress ( Catia Davim), and how we rebuild community from the ground up (Mel Knuckey), how we become Humans for the long Haul ( Jon Owen) and more, Arne's work grounds those same questions in one of life's most universal, and most neglected, transitions. 🎧 Listen now, and if you enjoy it, please subscribe/follow along — it's free, and it helps more of these conversations reach more people. To learn more about Arne & His teams work, including programs for schools, families and workplaces, visit ritesofpassageinstitute.org To see a number of tips, resources and stories of Rites of Passage work visit ritesofpassageinstitute.org/resources/  Connect with host Samantha Heron: heartandsoulstory.com/podcast Join Community Connection Movements: GoodFlock.org The Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice *A big thank you to Good Flock for their commitment to community connection, changing the culture of how we view ageing and their support in bringing this episode to you.*