#141 Darren McGarvey - Understanding the Anger of Britain’s Working Class and the Trauma Economy

Writer, rapper and social commentator Darren McGarvey joins Origin Story to unpack the “trauma economy,” working-class rage, AI warping our narratives, and the safeguards every storyteller needs.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of addiction, withdrawal, violence, and mental health.

• 00:00 Welcome, why Poverty Safari mattered to me

• 01:02 Pollok in the 80s, safety, and the two-minds dichotomy

• 04:00 Structural poverty, jobs disappearing, trust collapsing

• 10:34 Working-class anger, different tribes, same material pain

• 12:17 Social mobility loneliness, West End vs Pollok

• 12:51 Hip-hop as agency, finding a community

• 16:23 Brokenness, comedowns, and what you run from

• 20:16 Sudden success, visibility shock, family trade-offs

• 24:04 When your pain becomes a product

• 27:04 Safeguards before you share, prevention beats cure

• 30:06 Accountability, making amends in public and private

• 33:10 Your story isn’t only yours, many truths, many versions

• 36:37 Going public can re-activate perpetrators, stay safe

• 37:07 Viral fame without guardrails, modern public safety

• 39:03 Boundaries, being an introvert in public

• 41:05 Harassment, threats, and learning to de-escalate

• 42:10 Reward systems, status, and identity labels

• 56:00 Getting triggered, the buzz, and stepping back

• 62:18 Advice to younger Darren, alcohol, and timing

• 66:13 What he hopes this new book does, and why