Wit & Wisdom with Tom Greene

Remember when Americans only argued about whether Chicago or New York had the best hot dogs or pizza? Those were the salad days. Today we can't even agree on whether hot dogs can have ketchup or not.

A recent WSJ/NORC survey suggests that we are losing faith in things we typically reserved as sacrosanct in our country. Things like patriotism, family, friendship and faith in a higher power.

Listen to this episode to find out why we are losing faith in those things that made this country great.

Despite living in one of the most optimistic times in history, younger Americans are more afraid of the world than previous generations. They're a mess when it comes to Anxiety and Depression. The good news is that we’ve made huge strides in destigmatizing those mental health maladies. There is little shame or disgrace in anxiety and most other mental health conditions today.

However, in an effort to destigmatize mental health, we’ve opened an entire generation of kids to using their mental health issues as a part of their identity. Listen to this episode to learn why the kids are now self diagnosing themselves with major conditions like Bi-Polar Disorder and Autism....and announcing their diagnosis to millions of people around the world.

Today’s kids are the product of the most mental health intervention, the most therapy, the most anti-anxiety meds and the most understanding and empathetic parents in history. But, the kids are also the most anxious, depressed, medicated, lonely, sad and fearful kids in history.

With all this sympathy and intervention, shouldn't our kids be improving? Shouldn't the number of kids suffering from anxiety and depression be going down? (Hint: it goes up every single year.)

Tune in to learn why much of the struggling might just be our fault.

The Great Recession in 2008-2009 started a downward trend in the birth rate. The slide continued until we hit an all-time low in fertility 2020. That’s surprising since people were quarantined at home and should’ve been more active in the slap & tickle department.

The US population hit a record low the following year. Not good. So, will the next generation buck the fertility trend in order to save Social Security and Medicare before it goes bankrupt?

Listen to this episode to find out.

We are living in terribly polarizing times. But, how did we get here? The answer requires a little history lesson....and a little background in architecture. Yes, architecture.

It's that time of year in the United States. A time filled with anxiety and, even, dread. Yes, we are in the window each spring when high school seniors (and their parents) anxiously await to see whether Junior got into his "dream school". Yes, an enormous amount of anxiety is in the air. But, what if I told you that none of this really matters? That your kid's success has very little to do with the their college acceptance or even their college completion. If you're out standing by your mailbox waiting on the mail you definitely need to give this a listen.

There's a violent cultural shift coming. You can't see it yet, but it's rolling down the track like a speeding freight train. When it hits it will reverberate across the land like rolling thunder on a late summer night. So, what's this violent cultural shift? Tune in to find out.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that life is uncertain. Everything is fluid. Everything. Our health. Our livelihood. Our family. Our politics. Our peace of mind. It's all fluid. Have you already forgotten about the pandemic? I thought so....

Each season holds meaning in our lives. Some seasons, like spring and summer, create energy with their abundant light. But, winter is a time of rest, stillness and reflection. An opportunity to grow in the midst of uncertainty. It's a metaphor for life. But, fortunately, spring always comes with it's light a green shoots. We evolve stronger, rested and resilient, ready to begin afresh, empowered by the light.

We live in a constant state of distraction. Awash in information; starving in wisdom.