Wilk Wilkinson

And that's what we're trying to stem. We want to get away from that ugliness. and promote these conversations. Just because it's a contentious topic does not mean it has to be a contentious conversation. And that's how we stem the tide of fear. That's how we stem the tide of hatred. And that's how we stay away from these ugly, ugly battles. I mean, we've seen, everybody's seen it.

And that's what we're trying to stem. We want to get away from that ugliness. and promote these conversations. Just because it's a contentious topic does not mean it has to be a contentious conversation. And that's how we stem the tide of fear. That's how we stem the tide of hatred. And that's how we stay away from these ugly, ugly battles. I mean, we've seen, everybody's seen it.

Anybody who's on social media, anybody watches the news, there is a... A concerted effort on so many people's part out there, whether it be those in the media, whether it be those in politics or those outrage entrepreneurs that are just out there trying to keep us divided. Well, they do it for a reason. Number one, it sells soap, right? Division sells soap. It's an old saying, but...

Anybody who's on social media, anybody watches the news, there is a... A concerted effort on so many people's part out there, whether it be those in the media, whether it be those in politics or those outrage entrepreneurs that are just out there trying to keep us divided. Well, they do it for a reason. Number one, it sells soap, right? Division sells soap. It's an old saying, but...

But I'm just a guy out here, Drew, who's trying to make civility cool again, right? I'm just trying to show people that our conversations, and by starting those conversations, we can get away from a lot of that ugliness.

But I'm just a guy out here, Drew, who's trying to make civility cool again, right? I'm just trying to show people that our conversations, and by starting those conversations, we can get away from a lot of that ugliness.

Well, I was a very toxic person for a very long time. I was a very angry person for a very long time. I had a lot of personal animus from things that happened in my childhood and the things that I had, didn't have, wanted, couldn't get. And I spent a lot of my time miserable.

Well, I was a very toxic person for a very long time. I was a very angry person for a very long time. I had a lot of personal animus from things that happened in my childhood and the things that I had, didn't have, wanted, couldn't get. And I spent a lot of my time miserable.

And then I went on this personal accountability journey and really started to realize that I had the tools within me to get beyond all that anger, all that animus.

And then I went on this personal accountability journey and really started to realize that I had the tools within me to get beyond all that anger, all that animus.

Well, personal accountability means I have the ability within my brain, as Stephen Covey said, the ability to choose my response, my personal responsibility. I have the ability to choose my response. So it's not about what happens.

Well, personal accountability means I have the ability within my brain, as Stephen Covey said, the ability to choose my response, my personal responsibility. I have the ability to choose my response. So it's not about what happens.

I would say all of the above, right? I read a lot of books. I mean, it was no standard therapy, no 12-step program, though I've studied the approaches of Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous, Codependence Anonymous, things like that. You know, I've gone through a lot of that stuff and studied a lot of that. And then a spiritual guy, I'm a conservative Christian guy, Drew.

I would say all of the above, right? I read a lot of books. I mean, it was no standard therapy, no 12-step program, though I've studied the approaches of Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous, Codependence Anonymous, things like that. You know, I've gone through a lot of that stuff and studied a lot of that. And then a spiritual guy, I'm a conservative Christian guy, Drew.

And so, you know, read the Bible and have gone through the Bible. And then books like Seven Habits of Highly Effective People or Man's Search for Meaning or Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. These things were all instrumental in my journey to...

And so, you know, read the Bible and have gone through the Bible. And then books like Seven Habits of Highly Effective People or Man's Search for Meaning or Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. These things were all instrumental in my journey to...

So that moment of change for me came when I saw the ramping up of toxicity in the social media atmosphere. I'm not somebody who had ever paid attention to politics in my early adult life, but as I started to see things after 9-11 and I started to see the animus between parties and then I saw that ugliness growing.

So that moment of change for me came when I saw the ramping up of toxicity in the social media atmosphere. I'm not somebody who had ever paid attention to politics in my early adult life, but as I started to see things after 9-11 and I started to see the animus between parties and then I saw that ugliness growing.

And then when the onset of social media or the popularity of social media started growing in, you know, the teens, the 20 teens or, you know, and then I started seeing this, this anonymity, the ability to be outraged in an anonymous way and say the most ugly of things to people, I started getting caught up in that. And I started feeding on that anger and that ugliness online.

And then when the onset of social media or the popularity of social media started growing in, you know, the teens, the 20 teens or, you know, and then I started seeing this, this anonymity, the ability to be outraged in an anonymous way and say the most ugly of things to people, I started getting caught up in that. And I started feeding on that anger and that ugliness online.