Brett Gurewitz from Epitaph Records
I think Brett Gurewitz is a complicated man. I typically reserve “complicated” as code for highly insecure people, whose temperaments swing wildly, but I don’t think that’s the case with him. I think that he has a mind with very limited borders, so that his perspective on life is quite large. Mentally speaking, I suspect, that he inhales deep-deep breaths. And I imagine that trying to get a point across to other people might sometimes be difficult for him. Perhaps trying to pare down an idea to a simple construct, is …well, trying.
Literally, lost in translation.
As a founding member of Bad Religion and Epitaph he’s set a standard for anyone on a D.Y.I. path. Whether he sees it or not, he has cleared a way for anyone willing to go at things on their own. That is huge for me and probably for others as well. His actions say, “You don’t need the established norm to be successful.” I love that!
I had heard about him for years, then got lucky to meet him backstage at the Palladium and then again randomly at a pumpkin patch during Halloween where our kids were playing. I took a chance and sent him an email, to which he openly replied. I love that guys like him are approachable. Given that so many of our leaders are doing it wrong, it’s comforting when someone is doing it right.
Without further ado….
Brett Gurewitz…
Q: What is your favorite sandwich and who makes the best one?
B.G. Peanut Butter and Jelly is my favorite sandwich and I make the best ones. It’s all about the ratio.
Q: What is your favorite meal your mom makes?
B.G. When I was a kid and I was sick she’d make me a 2-minute egg and tear up little pieces of buttered toast and serve it to me in a bowl with salt on it.
Q: When or how did you find what you wanted to do?
B.G. Well, that’s been evolving my whole life. I’ve never made a lot of long term plans. I guess it was roughly 1987 when I decided to try and make a living in music. But even in high school when I met my band mates, it wasn’t something I aspired to do in life, it was more of something to do in the moment.
Nowadays, I just want to learn how to love and be loved. That’s really what gives life its meaning.
And it’s not always easy…
Q: How did you pursue it?
B.G. It’s a work in progress, of course. I try to practice kindness and compassion in my personal life and in business. And to basically be a force for good. My wife call’s me a post-cynical humanist… ha!
Q: Did you have a mentor/mentors in pursuing it? Who were they and what did they do for you?
B.G. I look up to my dad a lot. I’ve learned a lot from my friends. I have a close-knit circle. My wife, Gina, for sure. My mom taught me a love of literature, so I read a lot. Never had a real mentor in terms of my career. Everything I did was so seemingly accidental. Started a band, a label, got married, had kids. No premeditated path.
Q: What do you dream of doing or are you doing it? If so, then what is the goal?
B.G. I’m doing it. My goals? I want to continue to grow. Figure out how to be a better person. I’m so grateful to have the freedom and luxury to do that.
Q: What would your 15-year-old self say to you now?
B.G. Hopefully he’d say “nice job,” but realistically he’d call me a sell out and tell me to fuck off.
Q: If life were a person what would you say?
B.G. I would say thank you for existence. Thank you for the world. It’s so fucking mind blowing and feels like it was made just for me – the taste of water, the mountains, the sky. Thank you for consciousness, for the ability to illuminate a tiny corner of the universe. Mere existence itself is exquisite and I don’t ever want to take it for granted.
Q: If you were in charge of the world and you have no restrictions, real or imagined, what is the one thing you would give it?
B.G. Unlimited free parking. That’s the funny answer. If I were omnipotent, what would I give the world? Infinite compassion for each other and ourselves.
Q: Has morality disintegrated to the point that we now need Yelp for people?
B.G. Interestingly enough… A Silicon-Valley-type person pitched that to me recently. But do we need Yelp for people? No, I think we need a scientific approach to understanding human nature and reason-based theory of morality. Morality is an adaptive biological trait so let’s figure out what makes us tick and go from there. There’s been a lot of interesting work on that lately; for example, Johnathan Haidt’s Moral Foundation Theory.
Q: How is society getting things right?
B.G. Until Trump’s election I felt pretty positive about the progress of liberal values. We’d made some good progress on LGBQT rights, the 3rd great rights movement (after civil rights and women’s rights). Statistically, violence has been down, on a macro level. It’s felt generally like we’ve been moving in the right direction. But with the new administration putting so many truth and science deniers in positions of responsibility, I can’t help but feel hopeless.
Q: What do people need in order to see each other as equals?
B.G. Perspective switching and wisdom. The ability to get the other person’s point of view. Reading can really help. When you’re reading, what you’re really doing is thinking somebody else’s thoughts. It promotes cognitive empathy. So literacy education can play a big part.
Q: Do we still need religion?
B.G. I don’t think you can get rid of it all at once, because that would cause a lot of chaos and harm. And of course this is merely my opinion, but no, we don’t need religion. It served man in its infancy, but now humanity is having the growing pains of adolescence and it’s time to put down the fucking fairytale once and for all and start acting like adults. It’s my view that humanity has the capacity, and the responsibility, to work together in solving its problems through reason and critical thinking in the service of compassion.
Q: Do you have hope for the future?
B.G. Yeah, totally. I’m an incurable optimist. It drives my wife crazy. I’m a “glass half full” person. I truly hope humanity survives this troubling epoch, this transition from religiosity to technology. I think it’s going to be rough, but I believe in humanity’s goodness and intellect. I believe we can survive ourselves.
Q: What are three things that work for you? For example, I can’t find a good razor. Because of a near unbridled need for massive profits I find that many products don’t live up their advertising. What works for you:
B.G. Kindness works pretty well. So does patient endurance. Other than that… I’ve got these new trail runners. They’re ugly but work great – called Lone Peak 2.5 by Altra – a small company in Utah, I think. I took them backpacking and they were a revelation. First shoe to ever work for me out there. Strongly recommend.
More thought-provoking questions:
1: If our value system is based on scarcity then what of a human life, now that the population is in the billions?
B.G. That still doesn’t change it. Sure, our monetary system is determined by scarcity, but human beings are an end unto themselves, they are not a means to an end. We are not a means by which to measure the value of stuff. So you don’t calculate value in the same way. Human value will be the same if there is one person or a billion.
2: Would life be easier if racism were accurate?
B.G. Once again, you need to sort of go past these religious writings, whatever they might be, and use reason instead. We’re all the same. A lot of the racial differences are only skin deep and genetics will tell you there is not a heck of a lot of difference in us. Racism is nothing more than a negative component of human psychology that has overstayed its welcome. I’m sure it was helpful at some point when we were on the Savannah. When you need a strong, innate fear of the other – then sure it might be helpful. But now we need cognitive empathy and compassion. We all have the same range of emotions, of capabilities and we’re all stuck on this rock together spinning around this gaseous ball. We have to study ourselves. We’re not doomed by our biology. We can grow, transcend our maladaptive traits, and change. Understanding and education are the first steps.
