GRANTED: The untold story of 2021

April 2022

It's more important to make your children proud than your parents proud.

Too many people spend their lives being dutiful descendants instead of good ancestors. The responsibility of each generation is not to please their predecessors—it's to improve things for their successors.
 
Some topics I found worth discussing with our kids over the past month:

1. The hidden power of sad songs and rainy days (Susan Cain, TED)
We play sad songs 4x more often than happy ones. In this moving talk, Susan Cain explains why—and how longing and sorrow can actually be a source of joy. For more, read her beautiful book Bittersweet, which comes out Tuesday.
 
2. Adversarial collaboration (Daniel Kahneman, Edgecast)
The Nobel laureate makes the case for joining forces with our critics instead of prosecuting them.
 
3. Happiness, benevolence, and trust during COVID-19 and beyond (World Happiness Report)
The untold story of 2021: people became kinder. Global rates of helping strangers, volunteering, and giving to charity are nearly 25% above pre-pandemic levels.
The dominant response to suffering is not selfishness—it's compassion. The worst of times often bring out the best in us.
 
From my desk
 
4. A slap in the face (Bulletin)
I wrote about the psychology of precarious manhood—the aggressive response to threatened masculinity that’s pronounced in cultures of honor—and why building an inclusive culture depends on welcoming all voices into the conversation.
 
5. Leadership lessons from Zelenskyy and Putin (WorkLife)
I talked with political scientist and former Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul about what motivates Putin, why we’re inspired by Zelenskyy, and whether David fighting for something can beat Goliath fighting for nothing.

Finally: on April 7 I’m cohosting the virtual Wharton Future of Work Conference. Malcolm Gladwell and I will be fielding your questions live, and you’ll have a chance to learn from Satya Nadella, Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, John Amaechi, Dan Pink, Tsedal Neeley, and more of my favorite leaders and thinkers.

We’ll explore the science of leading and collaborating remotely, pursuing growth and change in a world filled with fatigue and regret, leveling the playing field, and learning from the past. Tickets are here.

In solidarity,

Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Organizational psychologist at Wharton, author of THINK AGAIN, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife