Nicholas Kristof: Hope is a Muscle

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler Podcast

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof understands how to hope—especially in the face of despair or disappointment. He has spent his life shining a light on global tragedies like the Tiananmen Square massacre or the genocide in Darfur. And yet, despite all the horrors he has born witness to, he maintains a sense of hard-won optimism. “Hope is a muscle,” he says, and one we can all learn to develop. 

In this live conversation, Kate and Nicholas discuss: 

  • How to maintain hope in the year ahead
  • Nicholas’ best argument as to why this is the best time to be alive
  • His strategies to seeing pain and courage up close over and over again
  • Why our small actions matter (even when it feels like a drop in the ocean) 

If you liked this episode, you’ll love: 

  • Bryan Stevenson on justice in the face of unthinkable odds

  • David Fajgenbaum on how hope pulls us forward

  • Sarah Polley on why we should run toward what scares us

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

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