Summary · 摘要
In this January 2026 episode of the Bad Faith podcast hosted by Briahna Joy Gray, Gabor Maté — physician, trauma specialist, and Holocaust survivor — reflects on the unique weight of the present political moment. At 82, he states he has never in his lifetime witnessed such pervasive darkness and despondency among progressive people, noting that even during the Vietnam War there existed a palpable sense of resistance and possibility that he finds largely absent today. Rather than sinking into nihilism, however, Maté argues for maintaining personal agency and engagement: the capacity to make even small contributions matters morally regardless of whether large historical forces can be controlled. The conversation expands into the loneliness epidemic, the self-harm crisis among young people, the question of whether to bring children into a troubled world, and Maté’s framing of these phenomena as political consequences of neoliberal, late-stage capitalist culture — treatable only through community, activism, and collective action.
本集《坏信仰》播客由布里亚娜·乔伊·格雷主持，嘉宾加博尔·马泰——医生、创伤专家、大屠杀幸存者——在2026年1月反思当下政治时刻的沉重。82岁的他坦言，一生中从未见过进步人士之间如此弥漫的黑暗与沮丧；他指出，即使是越南战争时期，抵抗的力量与变革的可能性依然清晰可感，而今日却几近消失。然而马泰并不主张陷入虚无主义，他强调保持个人能动性与参与感的重要性：无论历史的大势是否可控，做出哪怕微小的贡献在道义上都是必要的。对话进一步延伸至孤独症流行、青少年自伤危机、是否将孩子带入动荡世界的困惑，以及马泰将这些现象定性为新自由主义晚期资本主义文化的政治后果——只有通过社群建设、社会行动与集体力量才能真正应对。
Key points · 要点
[00:00:00] At 82, Maté says he has never subjectively experienced such darkness and despondency among progressive people; past crises like the Vietnam War still carried a tangible sense of resistance and possibility. 马泰表示，82岁的他从未在主观上经历过进步人士间如此深重的黑暗与沮丧；过去如越南战争那样的危机仍有切实可感的抵抗精神与可能性。
[00:01:33] He observes that the imperial system, led by the United States as the main hegemon, no longer hides behind labels like “democracy” and “freedom,” but now openly pursues greed and power — exemplified by Gaza and Venezuela. 他观察到，以美国为主要霸主的帝国体系已不再掩藏于”民主""自由”等标签之下，而是公开追逐贪婪与权力——加沙和委内瑞拉即为明证。
[00:05:09] Drawing on the Bhagavad Gita and the Hindu concept of Kali Yuga (a cyclical dark age), Maté frames the present darkness as historically recurring, and expresses faith in humanity’s enduring commitment to freedom, justice, and belonging. 马泰援引《薄伽梵歌》及印度教的”卡利时代”（周期性黑暗纪元）概念，将当下的黑暗定性为历史周期中反复出现的现象，并对人类追求自由、正义与归属感的持久力量表达信心。
[00:10:50] Against nihilism, Maté argues that activism and engagement — whether in demonstrations or in conversation — constitute agency itself, not merely a psychological crutch; taking action, however small, is the answer to confronting the present. 面对虚无主义，马泰认为社会行动与参与本身就是能动性的体现，而不仅仅是心理慰藉；无论多么微小，采取行动就是应对当下处境的答案。
[00:13:54] On whether to bring children into a troubled world, Maté declines to prescribe, citing his own birth as a Jewish infant under Nazi rule and Palestinians bearing children in rubble as proof that the impulse to welcome life transcends external circumstances. 关于是否在动荡世界中生育，马泰拒绝给出规定性答案，以自己作为犹太婴儿出生于纳粹统治下，以及加沙人在废墟中迎接新生儿为例，说明迎接生命的冲动超越了外部环境。
[00:19:32] Maté links the loneliness epidemic directly to neoliberal capitalism: loneliness is a major health risk comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, suppresses the immune system, and has worsened since the Thatcher/Reagan era through successive neoliberal governments. 马泰将孤独症流行直接与新自由主义资本主义相关联：孤独是重大健康风险，其危害相当于每天抽一包烟，会抑制免疫系统，并自撒切尔/里根时代起随历届新自由主义政府持续恶化。
[00:21:05] Self-cutting among young people is explained as neurobiological self-soothing: cutting triggers endorphin release, providing temporary relief from unbearable emotional pain — itself a consequence of unmet emotional needs in a toxic culture. 青少年自伤行为被解释为神经生物学层面的自我安抚：割伤触发内啡肽释放，暂时缓解无法承受的情感痛苦——而情感需求的长期得不到满足，正是有毒文化的产物。
[00:22:35] Maté concludes that self-harm, loneliness, and the loneliness-driven fertility decline are political questions, not merely clinical ones; addressing them requires community, activism, and collective agency to counter the toxicity of the culture. 马泰最终指出，自伤、孤独以及由孤独引发的生育率下降是政治问题，而非单纯的临床问题；应对这些现象需要社群建设、社会行动与集体能动性，以对抗文化的毒性。
Selected quotes · 摘引
“on a subjective level um and um I’m 82 years old now and on a subjective level in my lifetime I’ve not experienced such um darkness a sense of darkness and despondency um and um confusion and u discouragement on the part of progressive people.” — 00:00:00
在主观层面，我今年82岁了，在我的一生中，我从未经历过这样的黑暗——一种黑暗感和沮丧感，以及进步人士的困惑与灰心（翻译，非引文）。
“the forces of history are beyond the control of any one particular individual or any one particular generation or cohort. But that doesn’t mean we can’t contribute.” — 00:08:16
历史的力量超出了任何个人或任何一代人的控制范围。但这并不意味着我们无法做出贡献（翻译，非引文）。
“when you cut yourself your body your brain releases pain relieving medications internal opiate like medications endorphins. So the self cutting is actually a way of self soothing.” — 00:21:35
当你割伤自己时，你的身体、大脑会释放止痛物质——类似内源性阿片类物质的内啡肽。所以自我割伤实际上是一种自我安抚的方式（翻译，非引文）。
“you need communion community action activism agency to bring people together to counter the toxicity of the culture.” — 00:23:05
你需要交融、社区行动、社会活动、能动性，将人们聚集在一起，以对抗文化的毒性（翻译，非引文）。
People & works · 人物与著作
Gabor Maté — guest; physician and trauma specialist, 82-year-old Holocaust survivor, author of The Myth of Normal. 加博尔·马泰 —— 嘉宾；医生与创伤专家，82岁的大屠杀幸存者，《正常的神话》作者。
Briahna Joy Gray — host of the Bad Faith podcast; interlocutor discussing political pessimism, male loneliness, and fertility. 布里亚娜·乔伊·格雷 —— 《坏信仰》播客主持人；就政治悲观主义、男性孤独感与生育问题展开对话。
Bernie Sanders — mentioned as an example of progressive political effort that Maté never believed would transform the system. 伯尼·桑德斯 —— 作为进步政治努力的案例被提及；马泰表示他从未认为桑德斯能够改变体制。
Vivek Murthy — former US Surgeon General, cited for his book on loneliness as a health hazard. 维韦克·穆尔西 —— 前美国卫生局局长，因其关于孤独作为健康危害的著作而被提及。
Elizabeth Bruenig — journalist mentioned for arguing that the left should not cede the natalist conversation to the right. 伊丽莎白·布鲁尼格 —— 记者，因主张左翼不应将生育话语权拱手相让于右翼而被提及。
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture — Maté’s most recent book at time of recording; New York Times bestseller published in 43 languages, examining individual illness in relation to toxic culture. 《正常的神话：有毒文化中的创伤、疾病与疗愈》 —— 录制时马泰最新著作；《纽约时报》畅销书，已译为43种语言，探讨个体疾病与有毒文化的关系。
Bhagavad Gita — Hindu epic Maté was reading at time of recording; cited for its framing of the tension between ego/greed and compassion/love, and the concept of Kali Yuga as a cyclical dark age. 《薄伽梵歌》 —— 马泰录制时正在阅读的印度教史诗；被引用以阐释自我/贪婪与慈悲/爱之间的张力，以及”卡利时代”作为周期性黑暗纪元的概念。
Beloved (Toni Morrison) — mentioned by Gray as a literary example of extreme circumstances driving a parent to take a child’s life; used to contextualize the male loneliness and self-harm discussion. 《宠儿》（托尼·莫里森）—— 格雷提及的文学案例，描绘极端处境下父母夺取孩子生命的情形；用以映衬男性孤独与自伤的讨论。
Source · 来源
- Original · 原始链接: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7s4kgf9aPE
- Channel/Show · 频道/节目: Bad Faith (with Briahna Joy Gray) · published 2026-01-26