Derate The Hate

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Will Generation Z Be Our Open Minded Hopeful Majority? When a generation is consistently taught that tribalism trumps unity, a divisive mindset takes root. Generation Z is a such a group, raised amid boundless digital information, confronts a paradox: being told unity is unattainable through open dialogue and curious con...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Truth Is The Resolution To Irrationality The suppression of truth can have profound consequences, often leading to irrational behavior among individuals and societies. When information is deliberately withheld or manipulated, it distorts people's understanding of reality, creating a skewed perspective that can foste...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Humility & Free Speech Are Fundamental Prerequisites For Trust In Science If you have been following me from the beginning, you know I've been outspoken in opposition to much of the government's response to the pandemic since very early in 2020. But not unlike a tree falling in a forest when there is nobody...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Acknowledgement Is Needed To Confront The Stains Of Our Past The power to transform the world lies within the choices we make when wielding our words. It is imperative that we redefine the way we express ourselves, both in speaking of ourselves and of others. Conflicts will arise, but it is essential to recognize that am...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) A Hunger For Healing That Gives Us Hope It may be lost on many who spend all their time navigating the toxicity of the internet ecosystem, but there is a deep hunger for civic renewal and a return to civility in public discourse. As hardworking individuals in the exhausted middle, who often feel overlooked or caught in t...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Are Conservatives The Biggest Challenge The LGB Community Faces? It's not often you see the letters LGB these days without the rest of the characters. What was once a movement of same-sex attracted persons, traditionally known as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, has become something many from that original movement find har...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) How Looking Through An Us-vs-Them Lens Leads To More Animosity & Anger  So much of the work I do in the depolarization space leads me to great people of all mindsets. It's not that we have to agree, we just have to find a way to disagree in a more civil way. In today's hyper-connected world, where social me...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) 2023 Braver Angels National Convention Recap On Wednesday, July 5, 2023, Braver Angels orchestrated a remarkable gathering, uniting nearly 700 delegates from diverse backgrounds across our great nation. Their mission: to engage in meaningful discussions on how individuals with varying political mindsets can unite and con...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) What is The People's Patriot Project? I am often asked where I find the drive to do this work I do with the Derate The Hate podcast, or how I find the time to do the work I do with the Braver Angels organization. It seems that I answer this in many ways because there are many reasons, but it often comes down to this...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Why The Uproar About The Latest SCOTUS Rulings? There's nothing like a little Supreme Court action these days to get the masses all riled up. In these polarized and divisive times, would you expect any less. While approximately 70% of the American public believes that race should not play a part in college admission...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Finding Common Ground With Those Who Hold Contrary Beliefs Polarization and tribalism have taken hold of many parts of our public discourse today. It has been my experience that many who I once thought to be reasonable, have now placed politics over principles. How did we get here? When people place political blinders on...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Should we fear AI, or use this tool to live in a better way? It is often those things that we know the least about that we fear the most. There has been a lot circulating in the news and political circles in recent weeks and months about “slowing the progression” of artificial intelligence technology. Is this the correct...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Polarization, The Issue Of Our Time People who know me, or those who have listened to the DTH podcast for long know about my great passion for depolarization. With a mission statement like “Bettering the world, one attitude at a time”, it’s easy to surmise that to better the world, we as individuals must get along with e...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Giving Your Best Self By Finding Your Purpose  When we find ourselves loving our partner more than we love ourselves, we often overlook our own worth and potential. It becomes challenging to recognize and appreciate our own strengths, as we are constantly focused on meeting the needs and expectations of our partner. Howe...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Bettering The World By Being The Change You Want To See Anyone who’s listened to the DTH podcast for long has probably heard me mention the quote "be the change you want to see in the world". This carries profound meaning in relation to another topic I speak of often, the perpetual victim mentality. Too often,...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Looking within to live a courageous life How do you deal with the outside when you don’t feel right on the inside? It may seem like a simple question, but have you ever asked it? Have you ever tried to solve a problem without defining what the problem is? A large part of my self-healing journey had to do with figuring ou...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Are Our Political Rivals As Bad As We Think They Are? For the great majority of my life I had no interest in politics. It was not until after 9/11 that I had any interest whatsoever in anything any politician had to say. The only thing about politics I was certain of was that I didn't want anything to do with politi...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) A Mother's Legacy; Live a Life of Gratitude I've said so many times and so many ways, life is less about what is happening to us, but how we react to it that makes the difference. Some will look at a field full of beautiful flowers and focus on the weed, while others can look over a field of weeds and pick out...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) When your country is hijacked by real religious extremists You don't have to look very far these days to find those that would rather run the United States of America down rather than be grateful for all that she has to offer. Have you ever wondered though why so many choose to emigrate from their home countries aro...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) How Can We Promote a Culture of Civility When Discussing Politics? Why is it that people these days are so terrified of people of differing opinions and mindsets? Do you think it may have something to do with the toxicity we see in social media? Or maybe it's the bombardment of "if it bleeds it leads", hat...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Mindset Matters When Locked Up Abroad Everyone has a story. Our unique experiences in life is what makes up our story. How we deal with adversity can often make the difference in whether something turns out very bad, or for the good, not just for yourself, but for many others. Do you look at a mistake and see an opportun...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Judgemental Awareness and Finding Peace Within I wouldn't have guessed it, being somewhat judgemental myself. I know, or knew little prior to this week's conversation about yoga. I would have never guessed that having a conversation with a world-renowned yoga teacher could be so enlightening. One of the greates...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Through Positivity, Thoughts Become Things Have you heard about the law of attraction? You've probably heard me talk about the reticular activating system. I first mentioned it way back in DTH episode 52. The law of attraction works very much along the same lines. The basic principle is, the things you focus upon mo...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) You Shall Be Known By The Fruit You Bear I'm sure you've heard the phrase, in some fashion or another, that is derived from Matthew 7: 15-20. It's not an exact quote, but the meaning is so very true. What is more important that we can do in this world than to leave good humans to follow up where we left of...

Send Wilk a text with your feedback! (incoming msgs only - I can't reply) Happiness is a Journey, Not a Destination I've said it time and time again on this podcast, we have a moral obligation to be happy! Friends, smiles and bad moods are contagious, so we owe it to those around us to put in the effort to be happy people. If you are not happy, it is up to you to change it. As my guest th...