Braver Angels Courageous Citizens. Wilk Wilkinson and Maury Giles

About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of courageous citizenship and the importance of civic engagement in overcoming partisan divides.

Conflict entrepreneurs get money, influence and power by sparking anger and outrage. The  Braver Angels  call for  courageous citizenship  does precisely the opposite. In this podcast we hear the case for citizen power not paralysis, action not reaction, and why building America's civic muscle is so much better than burning things down. Here is a passionate, thoughtful and curious conversation between Braver Angels C.E.O.  Maury Giles  and  Wilk Wilkinson , Director of Braver Angels Media Operations. Both came to their work with the campaign after years in the private sector. Maury and Wilk are conservatives in a movement where a majority is either independent or leans blue. Our episode is the latest in more than two dozen "How Do We Fix It?" discussions on the people, projects and ideas of America's largest organization committed to civic renewal and building trust across partisan divides. The edited recording was first published in longer form by Wilk's podcast, " Derate The Hate" . "At the end of the day the common thing we're trying to get to is how do you get out of the outrage cycle so you can see clearly what you're going to do…

People in this episode

Guests: Wilk Wilkinson, Maury Giles

Topics covered

• civic engagement
• partisan divides
• citizenship
• conflict resolution
• political discourse

Keywords

• Braver Angels
• courageous citizenship
• citizen power
• civic muscle
• conflict entrepreneurs

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: How Do We Fix It?, Derate The Hate, The Power of Giving Away Power How The Best Leaders Learn to Let Go

Places: America, Philadelphia

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• Why Braver Angels Workshops Bring Surprise and Hope. Maryanne Colter · April 10, 2026 · 28 min
• Braver Angels Ambassadors. Barbara Hancin and Ron McFarland · March 27, 2026 · 27 min
• Braver Angels Citizens Commission on Immigration. David Lapp · March 13, 2026 · 29 min