The Oedipus Complex – Of Forbidden Fruits and Triangles

All little boys want to kill their fathers and marry their mothers. Wait, what, really? These days, the idea that we go through an Oedipus complex usually just elicits an eye roll; though Freud once considered it the cause of all human neurosis. Although nothing is ever that simple, we should pause before throwing out the Oedipal baby with the Freudian bathwater.

Other thinkers have drawn on other Greek myths to describe the child's dilemma, Persephone, Electra, and Orestes. At its core, this situation is about managing relationship triangles, one of the most daunting challenges that the developing human being encounters.

In this episode, we rescue Oedipus and show how an ancient myth can help us be better parents, navigate our own relationships more mindfully, and understand every day experiences like competition and envy.