Can We Fix How We Argue Today?

 Let"s stop the cycle of contempt and learn to disagree better! In this video, we discuss how to fix our broken conversations and bridge the divide in our nation. Are we really more divided than ever—or just worse at disagreeing? In this episode of An Ounce, we explore how contempt has crept into every corner of modern life—from relationships and work meetings to dinner tables and online comment sections—and why it"s killing our ability to communicate. You"ll hear insights from Stoic philosophers, historical figures like Lincoln and Mandela, and even modern research on what actually ends relationships (hint: it’s not yelling). ________________________________________ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:16 – Conversation That Broke Down 02:41 – The Real Enemy 03:49 – In the Living Room – Relationships 04:40 – The Family Table – Political Polarization at Home 05:31 – At Work 06:27 – Online: Public Contempt Preformed for Audience 07:33 – The Temptation of Contempt 08:33 – Why Civility Isn’t Enough 09:16 – The Better Way 10:43 – How Grace Stops Contempt 11:25 – Challenge 12:32 – An Ounce ________________________________________ 🎥 Watch More Great Videos: 👉 You’ve Been Lied To: The Truth Behind History’s Biggest Myths – What else have we been so sure about… and so wrong? https://youtu.be/JpHTMQV-XPQ ➡️ The Nicholas Effect – A true story about choosing grace over contempt—and changing lives. https://youtu.be/Affw-qmLQog ➡️ If It Feels Good – How something soothing (like contempt) can be more dangerous than it seems. https://youtu.be/Z39Qf8z0gB4 ________________________________________ 📚 References & Resources: 1. Pew Research (2021): https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/11/09/americans-politics-and-politicians/ 2. John Gottman on contempt and divorce: https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-the-antidotes/ 3. Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address & reconciliation: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/inaugural-address-president-nelson-mandela-1994 4. RBG and Scalia friendship (NPR): https://www.npr.org/2016/02/14/466620117/the-odd-couple-antonin-scalia-and-ruth-bader-ginsburg 5. Socrates and questioning truth (Plato’s Apology summary): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/ 6. Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison (Blight, 2018): https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/david-w-blight 7. Additional Reading: More Love, Less Contempt, Arthur C. Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, April 25, 2019. Found at-  https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/arthur-c-brooks/more-love-less-contempt/ ________________________________________ 🛒 Check Out My Book: Firehouse Philosophy – Real stories and lessons from an exceptional life 📘 On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Firehouse-Philosophy-Embers-Insight-Exceptional/dp/B0BJ58Q1FS ________________________________________ 📬 Contact / Collaboration Inquiries: jim@anounce.org ________________________________________ 🎵 Credits: Music: VENTATESANANDA by Jesse Gallagher from YouTube Library Illustrative and Background Visuals: iStock, Getty, Wikimedia, and AI-generated ________________________________________ 📢 Subscribe for Short History, Big Ideas An Ounce Podcast delivers daily Shorts and weekly episodes that are surprising, thoughtful, and just a little bit profound. #historypodcast #shortformhistory #lifelessons #storytellingpodcast #humorandhistory #educationalentertainment #realstories  10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube