Frank Bruni on our culture of complaint

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni joins us to talk about why Americans feel so angry, outraged and aggrieved these days.

Listen 50:16

Why are so many people so angry, outraged and resentful these days? While there’s a lot to be ticked off about, it’s not healthy to feel aggrieved all the time. It affects our sense of wellbeing, our relationships with other people — and it’s not good for our democracy.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni has been exploring our culture of complaint and joins us this week to discuss his new book, The Age of Grievance. He writes that “the blame game has become the country’s most popular sport and victimhood its most fashionable garb.”

While he is critical of the left, especially college campuses that focus on trigger warnings, political correctness and microaggressions, he says nothing compares to the dangerous grievances that fueled the January 6th insurrection. This episode, a conversation about why humility is an antidote to grievance.

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