Derate The Hate

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In Episode 299 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with peacebuilder, author, and professor Chip Hauss to explore what it really takes to bridge divides in a polarized world.

Chip shares insights from his decades of work in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, including why addressing root causes matters more than fighting symptoms, and why meaningful change starts locally — not federally. Together, Wilk and Chip unpack common myths about political polarization, discuss the importance of personal agency and courageous citizenship, and explain how curiosity can transform conversations across difference.

This episode is grounded, hopeful, and deeply practical — a reminder that peacebuilding isn’t the work of elites, but something each of us can practice every day.

Topics Covered

• Peacebuilding as a daily practice
• Root-cause problem solving vs. symptom chasing
• Local action and community engagement
• Personal agency and courageous citizenship
• Finding joy in conversations across difference
• Lessons from Peace Building Starts at Home

Learn more about and connect with Chip Hauss in the full show notes at www.DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

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Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

In a culture shaped by outrage, many people choose silence—not because they agree, but because speaking feels too risky.

In this episode of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson is joined by journalist and author Katherine Brodsky to discuss cancel culture, self-censorship, and the growing consequences of letting loud, unreasonable voices dominate public discourse.

Katherine is the author of No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage. Drawing from personal experience and historical perspective, she explains why courage is often rooted in moral clarity, not bravado—and why authenticity matters for both individual well-being and societal progress.

Together, Wilk and Katherine explore:

• Why self-censorship is becoming normalized
• How social media amplifies extremism
• The real dangers of government censorship
• Why people must be allowed to express “wrong” ideas to learn
• How authenticity leads to healthier relationships and communities

A thoughtful, grounded conversation about free speech, responsibility, and the quiet power of finding your voice.

Learn more about and connect with Katherine Brodsky by visiting the full show notes for this episode at www.DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

In Episode 297 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with Tom Fishman—media executive, bridge-builder, and advisor to the ProHuman Foundation—for a wide-ranging conversation on how depolarization can scale.

From the failures of outrage-driven media to the need for a powerful “air game” in the bridging movement, this episode explores how storytelling, shared identity, and citizen-led solutions can rebuild trust and belonging in American life.

Key Topics Covered

• Why depolarization needs a “killer app”
• The shift from left/right polarization to top/bottom resentment
• How media algorithms reward outrage—and how to counter them
• The loneliness crisis and the human need for belonging
• Why bridge-building must produce real, visible results
• The inspiration behind The Great Boys Book

Guest
Tom Fishman is a founding partner of the Builders Movement, an advisor to the ProHuman Foundation, and a former media executive at MTV and Facebook.

Learn more about and connect with Tom Fishman in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

In Episode 296 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson is joined by Malka Kopell and Palma Joy Strand, co-founders of Civity, for a deeply human conversation about rebuilding trust, strengthening communities, and rediscovering our civic muscle.

At a time when institutional trust is declining and polarization feels overwhelming, Malka and Palma share why relationships — not arguments — are the true foundation of social change.

Together, they explore:

• Why storytelling builds trust across difference
• How listening can be a courageous civic act
• What “the conversation before the conversation” really means
• Simple, everyday actions that restore agency and belonging

This episode is a reminder that small human moments — when multiplied — can change the culture around us.

Learn more about Civity and connect with Malka & Palma by checking out the full show notes for this episode at www.DerateTheHate.com

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

Why does outrage feel powerful — yet leave conversations broken in its wake?

In Episode 295 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson is joined by world-class speaking coach and author Robert Begley to explore why empathy-rooted rhetoric is far more effective than outrage-driven communication.

Together, they unpack how conversations escalate, why persuasion works better than force, and how curiosity and listening can disarm hostility before it turns into conflict.

This episode offers practical tools for navigating difficult conversations — without sacrificing conviction or humanity.

Guest: Robert Begley
Book: Voices of Reason (Amazon Bestseller)

Key Topics

• Why outrage kills dialogue
• Persuasion vs. rhetorical force
• Defusing hostile conversations
• Empathy without agreement
• Listening to understand, not respond

Learn more and connect with Robert Begley in the full show notes for this episode at www.DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

In Episode 294 of Derate The Hate, Wilk Wilkinson is joined by author and speaker,  Julie Lavender Le Doux for a powerful conversation about performance anxiety, childhood experiences, fear, shame, and personal growth.

Julie shares how early experiences shaped her fear of being seen, how anxiety spread into multiple areas of her life, and how confronting fear became the path toward healing and courage. Together, Wilk and Julie explore how avoidance temporarily feels safe—but ultimately deepens fear—and why courage is a learnable skill.

They also discuss Julie’s imaginative Amazings book series, which uses metaphor and storytelling to help children and families process trauma, propaganda, conformity, and fear—while cultivating wonder, critical thinking, and resilience.

Key Topics

• Performance anxiety and childhood experiences
• Fear, shame, and avoidance
• Courage as a learned skill
• Healthy vs. avoidant boundaries
• Storytelling as a tool for healing
• Raising courageous, curious kids
• Imagination, wonder, and truth

Learn more and connect with Julie Lavender Le Doux in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

Episode 293 with guest Nathan Stock

In this episode, Wilk sits down with international conflict-resolution specialist Nathan Stock, a man with more than 20 years of experience working to reduce violence and strengthen democracy around the world. Nathan shares how his journey began as an English teacher in Gaza during the Al-Aqsa Intifada — an experience that taught him how quickly societies can shift from tension to full-scale conflict.

Nathan explains the unsettling parallels he now sees in American political polarization: declining trust in institutions, tribal media bubbles, and the growing tendency to view political opponents as evil rather than human. But he also emphasizes the hopeful part: we still have agency, and personal relationships across difference remain one of the strongest antidotes to toxic polarization.

Topics include:
• Lessons from living through violent conflict
• Why good people can be driven to do bad things
• The role of media consumption in shaping our “reality”
• Declining trust in institutions
• How everyday citizens can help reduce political hostility
• Building cross-partisan relationships that humanize, not demonize

Learn more about and connect with Nathan Stock by getting the full show notes at www.DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

Episode 292 — Correcting Misperceptions with James Coan of More Like US

 Misunderstanding each other is fueling a level of toxic polarization that’s tearing at our civic and social fabric. In this episode, Wilk is joined by James Coan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of More Like US, an organization that helps Americans see each other more accurately—especially on college campuses.
 

They unpack:
• Why we think our political “opponents” are more extreme than they really are
• How false stereotypes lead to fear, outrage, and hostility
• The perception gap: what it is and how it warps our values
• Why data can calm what misinformation inflames
• The CAST framework for seeing people as complex, admirable, similar, and worthy of togetherness
• How to interrupt the “race to the bottom” in our politics

This conversation is full of clarity, humanity, and real-world solutions.

Learn more about James and his work by visiting the full show notes for this episode on DeratetheHate.com or MoreLikeUS.org

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

Episode 291 – Featuring Joni Bryan of The 917 Society

In this episode, Wilk sits down with Joni Bryan, Founder & Executive Director of The 917 Society, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation with a personal connection to the U.S. Constitution.

Joni shares how a simple question — “Have you ever read the Constitution?” — evolved into a nationwide effort to provide every 8th-grade student with a free pocket Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in honor of Constitution Day.

Topics include:

• Why constitutional literacy is declining
• Originalism vs. modern interpretations
• Limited government and the balance between federal and state power
• The role of bureaucracy in shaping today’s political divides
• Pushback The 917 Society receives — and why
• The importance of the Constitution for all Americans, regardless of political beliefs
• The 2026 goal: 2.5 million pocket Constitutions for America’s 250th anniversary

Learn more about Joni & The 917 Society in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com or visiting 917society.org.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply)

Bridge Grades & the Fight Against Toxic Polarization

This week, Wilk is joined by Brad Porteus, founder of BridgeGrades.org, to discuss the pervasive issue of toxic political polarization and identity politics in America.

Brad shares his experience of returning to the U.S. after 14 years abroad, seeing a "stark" difference and feeling "mad" about the decay of the civic fabric. The conversation delves into the dangers of the outrage economy that profits from division, and how our perception of reality is being warped by algorithms.

Brad introduces BridgeGrades.org, a new data-driven system that evaluates every member of Congress on one key dimension:
Are they Bridgers—or Dividers?

This conversation digs into pluralism, loss of agency, legislative dysfunction, and how we can build a healthier civic culture by supporting leaders who collaborate instead of perform.

Topics Include:

• What returning to America after 14 years overseas revealed
• The boiling-frog effect of polarization
• Identity politics and the loss of shared humanity
• How algorithms distort our perceptions
• Legislative health and the importance of cross-party collaboration
• How Bridge Grades identifies genuine “Bridgers”
• Why pluralism—not uniformity—is the American superpower

Learn more in the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

The world is a better place if we are better people. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

Please follow the DTH podcast on:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) ,  YouTube,  Substack 

Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact

The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org

Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast!

*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.