“You can’t solve the challenges of our time from within the story that created them. You can’t solve a crisis of loneliness from within a story that says we’re independent, isolated individuals. You can’t solve a crisis of inequality from within a story that says competition is the answer. And you can’t solve ecological collapse from within a story that tells us happiness lies in possessions.”
That’s
in the latest episode of The Oneliness Podcast (🎧 Listen on Spotify | Apple)He’s the author of Citizens: The Key to Fixing Everything Is All Of Us and co-founder of the New Citizen Project — reminding us of something we easily forget: that the stories we live by shape not only how we see ourselves, but what we believe is possible together.
I first read Jon’s book in 2022, when the world already felt fragile: post-COVID uncertainty, authoritarian populism rising, and trust in institutions falling apart. A few years later, the strongman persona has re-emerged globally, and particularly right-wing and far-right movements have gained traction by tapping into a widespread sense of neglect, abandonment, and distrust toward politics and institutions. I’ve written about this before.
At the same time, social trust and interpersonal trust continue to decline. Loneliness lingers everywhere, fueled by what Jon calls the consumer story: a narrative that tells us to sit back, vote once every four years, and otherwise leave things to others.
I’ve long admired Jon’s work, alongside fellow protagonists and movements like
that are not just diagnosing the problem but offering practices and frameworks, from citizens’ assemblies to legislative theater and circular power politics, that help us reimagine democracy as something we do rather than something we have.“Citizen democracy, as opposed to consumer democracy, has to involve being allowed in the kitchen, not just being forced to eat at the only restaurant in town. I’ve emphasized so far in this conversation the role of our institutions in opening up to that, and I think that’s really important. But it is also something we can just do. Democracy needs our institutions to open up. But in the meantime, democracy can be something we do rather than something we have. Citizen can be a verb, not just a noun.”
In our conversation, we talked about loneliness and the consumer story, the loss of trust, and the authoritarian pressures shaping our time. But just as importantly, we explore the practices and frameworks that are helping us reimagine what democracy could look like when grounded in participation, agency, and connection.
This episode left me hopeful, and I hope it does the same for you. Please listen, share, and check out Jon’s work.
Enjoy listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Thank you for reading, listening, and for your support!
If this work resonates with you, please rate and review the podcast, and share it with a friend. I produce independently, so your support really makes a difference. Consider becoming a paid subscriber here or Buy Me a Coffee — it’s greatly appreciated. Learn more about my work here and connect on Instagram & LinkedIn.
