America has developed a “culture of contempt.” We increasingly view people who disagree with us not as merely incorrect or misguided, but as worthless. This is warping political discourse, tearing us apart as people, and even wrecking our health. But we can fight back. Drawing on ancient wisdom, cutting-edge behavioral science, and examples from history’s greatest leaders, Arthur Brooks shows how we can bridge national divides and make progress as a society, all while becoming happier and more effective people. Love Your Enemies is a guide to building a better country-but more than that, it is a roadmap to the happiness that comes when we choose to love one another, despite our differences.
As president of the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur Brooks works with political, intellectual, and business leaders in Washington D.C. and around the country to defend liberty, increase opportunity, and expand access to the blessings of free enterprise for all.
An economist by training, Arthur has spent decades studying culture and public policy. His work in topics from technical economics to the sources of human happiness has established his reputation as a bestselling author, a prolific social scientist, and an original thinker.
Arthur’s path to Washington is anything but typical. Raised in liberal Seattle, he dropped out of college to play music and spent several years living in Spain. Three decades, three degrees, and three kids later, he is fighting to give everyone the same chance to build their lives and pursue happiness.
As the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a nationally recognized think tank based in Washington, D.C., Arthur leads a community of scholars and supporters committed to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity, and strengthening free enterprise for all Americans. AEI is a private and nonpartisan non-profit. The scholars and research from AEI foment competition of ideas and educate leaders around the country.
In the final episode of the second season of The Arthur Brooks Show, Simon Sinek sits down with Arthur Brooks for a conversation about loving your enemies, recorded live at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
Coercive leaders can be appealing when the public wants to change the status quo, but for America to make genuine progress, the country needs authoritative leaders who can build a moral consensus without shying away from disagreement.
When people say they love God, what do they actually mean? In the sixth episode, Arthur seeks answers to what’s happening in our hearts and in our brains when people express love for God.
Great conversation with @ASU_SCETL on the American idea, the culture of contempt, and why we all need to take more… https://t.co/TeZqKAPwIy
RT @NewsHour: “We have a standoff. Nobody's persuading anybody. We need a new solution,” says @arthurbrooks https://t.co/ubLVNUQXLo
Thanks to @EconTalker for having me on the show to discuss Love Your Enemies! Listen to our conversation here: https://t.co/ZEvI7xRn7i
Coercive leaders can be appealing when the public wants to change the status quo, but for America to make genuine progress, the country needs authoritative leaders who can build a moral consensus without shying away from disagreement.
How can we subvert the culture of contempt? The answer is not for people simply to agree with each other. Instead, we must understand the appropriate way to disagree with others, even when we are treated with hatred.
America’s problem is not one of anger or incivility, but contempt: the conviction that those who disagree with us are not just incorrect, but worthless as people. To overcome the culture of contempt, we must build a new social movement based in solidarity and love.
