This podcast is an urgent, radical, yet practical response to the crisis of political polarization that is tearing America apart. Instead of mere tolerance and civility, we discuss how and why we should love our enemies.

A response is needed to our culture of contempt, where many think of those who they disagree with as bad people. Millions are organizing their social lives and curating their news and information to avoid hearing viewpoints different than their own.

The Outrage Industrial Complex-- angry politicians, cable TV and talk radio pundits, campus activists and Twitter trolls-- profits out of making us miserable and wrecking public life. An exhausted majority of Americans is tired of how divided we've become. This show looks at how to fix it.

In his new book, "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From the Culture of Contempt", best-selling author and social scientist, Arthur Brooks, makes the case for something that is far more life affirming than mere tolerance and civility. He explains a new way to lead based not on attacking others, but on bridging national divides and mending personal relationships.

"You increase anxiety and stress in your own life when you treat somebody else with contempt," Arthur tells us. "The reason why I talk about love your enemies is because I believe that contempt in our society today is not just a terrible thing that we do, it's also a habit that we're engaged in."

This episode is a joint production with "Half Hour of Heterodoxy". Deb Mashek, Executive Director of Heterodox Academy is our co-host.