How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Update)
Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?
Episode 478 of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, hosted by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher, titled "How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Update)" was published on October 15, 2025 and runs 40 minutes.
October 15, 2025 ·40m · Freakonomics Radio
Summary
Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?
Episode Description
Arthur Brooks, an economist and former head of the American Enterprise Institute, believes that there is only one remedy for our political polarization: love. In this 2021 episode, we ask if Brooks is a fool for thinking this — and if perhaps you are his kind of fool?
- SOURCES:
- Arthur Brooks, professor of public and nonprofit leadership at Harvard University.
- RESOURCES:
- “Vital Statistics on Congress,” by Molly Reynolds and Naomi Maehr (Brookings Institute, 2024).
- Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Anna Lembke (2021).
- “Reading Too Much Political News Is Bad for Your Well-Being,” by Arthur Brooks (The Atlantic, 2020).
- Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, by Arthur Brooks (2019).
- “This 75-Year Harvard Study Found the 1 Secret to Leading a Fulfilling Life,” by Melanie Curtin (Inc., 2017).
- The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America, by Arthur Brooks (2015).
- “Grin and Bear It: The Influence of Manipulated Facial Expression on the Stress Response,” by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman (Psychological Science, 2012).
- EXTRAS:
- “Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?” by Freakonomics Radio (2021).
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