I connect most with people who share values of acceptance, and I gravitate towards those people, and I probably will blindside people who don’t.
Who is on that blindside list?
I’m gonna win the game. And if your value systems don’t jive with mine, we’re not gonna connect, we’re not gonna bond. I’m not gonna be able to trust you, and so I’m gonna have to blindside you, or get you out somehow, but it’s most likely gonna be a blindside.
Did this come up at all in Australia?
It comes up every single time. Yeah, in every game. This is how I connect with people, it’s through sharing stories. Being curious about other people, asking questions, and then looking for places where the things that we care about connect.
You don’t have to tell me who, but I would be OK if you did—what are some of the most egregious non-connection moments you’ve experienced on the island, political or otherwise?
Well, I don’t know JT’s politics or Rupert [Boneham]’s, or, any of those guys on Heroes vs. Villains for that matter, like Colby [Donaldson], but I don’t think that we share the same politics, and we very clearly did not connect. And you saw how that turned out for those guys. [Laughs.]
OK, the Black Widow is still here. I think she’s in the room with us right now. I’m sorry to say.
I’m telling you, I’m a whole person.
You’re a holistic person.
I know, but inside of a game, it’s a bubble, and inside of that container, who are your people, who’s your tribe, and who’s not? I have a very high tolerance for people and their differences, and I just think do you, as long as you’re not hurting someone else or taking away someone else’s right to be a person. But if you’re going to come after someone’s right to exist as themselves? No, that doesn’t work for me.
When people are on the beach, and they’re at the basest version of themselves, I’ve always wondered what comes out after that.
Yeah. I mean, I think the most divisive for me was the Micronesia finale and the Heroes vs. Villains finale. That’s where you see the politics play out. That’s where the voting happens for the winner. I think you saw where people stood in those moments. And that’s not to say that people can’t change once they get more information, because some of them did apologize afterward. But, you know, some of them didn’t, too.
Survivor is a very political game. I’ve talked with Jon Lovett on his podcast about this too. I think there’s a reason why people who are into politics love Survivor.
My entire life is explained now!
You’re welcome. I validate you.
For my last question, I want to get back to you as this professional reality TV star, content creator, and author. You are continuing and continuing to put yourself out into the world, even though you’ve been burnt by that so many times. Why did you decide that you were going to keep pushing?
I think it’s because I am a Scorpio moon. I don’t know! I just have this deep hunger to feel. And I’m super curious and adventurous. And I really like putting myself into extreme environments where I have very little control, and seeing what happens and how I adapt, and pushing myself to be resilient. And I think that that is what keeps me growing and young. I want to grow, I want to learn, I want to develop. I want to get better and better and enjoy all there is to enjoy. And I even enjoy suffering. And pain is enjoyable to me, alongside joy and ecstasy and all pleasure. All of it is kind of enjoyable.
So like I wrote about in my book, this is my kink, like Survivor reality TV competition shows, putting myself out there, exposing myself in a way that supports people’s development and growth and people’s acceptance of themselves. That’s what my life is about. So I’m gonna keep doing it, even if it seems insane.
