"If we live in a culture where where hate is made easy, we are more likely to take that path. Hate gives us a sense of empowerment. Rage gives us a sense of agency. Othering gives us a sense of superiority. It may all be an illusion but at least we don't feel vulnerable and powerless [...] In political debate, fear has been used to create a triggered state where people are going to be in 'fight or flight' so we'll choose to hate rather than welcome."
In this week's episode, Julian speaks with Jennifer Nadel, the co-founder of Compassion in Politics and chair of the Global Compassion Coalition. They talk about her fascinating career from qualifying as a barrister to becoming Home Affairs Editor for ITV, and the writing, campaigning, and activism she has moved into since.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has been looking for a platform to tell the truth, however inconvenient, and to stand against injustice. But she combines this with a deep optimism about the human potential for compassion.
In their conversation with Julian, they talk about some of the failings of the criminal justice system, the potential of the media to trigger positive change but also to have harmful intended consequences, and the need for greater compassion in our political system and wider culture.