Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, creators of HBO's Industry, on addictions to success, status and money, and the substance abuse that fuels their hit show. In the episode we discuss:

-Why the themes of ambition, success, and money are at the heart of HBOs Industry – and how these themes manifest in various addictions among the characters

-Choosing what we worship, and what happens when we put our faith in external things to make us feel safe, secure, happy, and whole

-Why  recreational drug and alcohol use is so normalized – and how it morphs into more problematic use, especially in high pressure industries

-The individual drivers behind the culture of “success addiction” and “never enough” depicted in the show

-The role of childhood wounds in our self-destructive adult behaviors

-The transactional nature of the sex depicted in the show, and what this says about the characters’ lack of capacity for connection and vulnerability

-Dating apps being the crack cocaine of courtship – and the role of this in an addictive hookup culture

-The motivations for two of the characters getting sober in Season 2, and their different approaches to their sobriety

-The complexity of human nature, and how our “worst selves” often come out when we are feeling vulnerable and afraid

-The role of art in helping us develop self-compassion for our less palatable actions and behaviors

-Two key lines from the show that encapsulate our modern culture of excess 

Seasons One and Two of Industry are streaming now on HBO. You can follow along on Instagram @industryhbo for updates.

Big thank you to Ghia for partnering on this episode. Get your Ghia at Drinkghia.com where you can get  $10 off your first online order with the code CURIOUS.