Author | Lightnews

Josh Morgan

@monarchjogs.bsky.social

31 followers 28 following 74 posts

Applied sociologist and aspiring helper. Boosting kindness and trust. He/Him.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Jul 15

Only 1 in 4 Americans now agree that most people can be trusted. What has caused the decline of trust and what can be done about it? See my analysis below.

Trust Among Americans Isn’t Over Yet - The Plural of You

Only 1 in 4 Americans now agree that most people can be trusted. What has caused the decline of trust and what can be done about it?

pluralofyou.org

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Aug 9

We need trust to reverse polarization & pull our communities from a socioeconomic tailspin.

This isn't just a societal issue. You & I need trust to be happier, healthier, & smarter in our daily lives.

Like @roderickstruth.bsky.social says, you & I have to start somewhere.

What do you think?

Trust Among Americans Isn’t Over Yet – Josh C. Morgan

joshcmorgan.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Aug 9

Q: What else can be done?

A: Create space around the positive. Don't devote yourself to fighting the negative.

🏅 Get involved in at least one cause you care about.
🫂 Live the Golden Rule. Support your loved ones and cheer their wins. ("Who can I celebrate today?")
🩼 Ask for help when you need it.

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Aug 9

Q: What can be done to reverse the decline of trust among Americans?

A: We need shared wins & shared resources.

📚 Support public education. libraries, & media. Private institutions and mass media push fear to create competition.
🗳️ Support local leaders who offer their values, not fear of others.

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Aug 9

According to 2024 GSS data from @norc.org, social trust among Americans has dropped 5-6 percentage points in the 2020s.

Only 1 in 4 Americans now say "Most people can be trusted."

Race continues to be the most significant factor, with White trust declining and non-White trust even more rare.

Line chart showing 46.2% of Americans who said "Most people can be trusted" in 1972 versus 25.2% in 2024.

Line chart showing a decline of social trust among White Americans from 1972 to 2024. The same chart shows historically low trust among non-White Americans during the same period.

Reposted by Josh Morgan

Decolonize Myself @decolonizemyself.bsky.social · Jul 17

seastersjones
keep your mangos in th... @ArcticMangoes
People often mistake socializing regularly for community. If there's no commitment to care, there's no
community, no matter how fun the socializing is.

6 19

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Jun 15

I have decided to end The Plural of You podcast—for real this time. There are several reasons why I’m ending it, mostly because I think I’ve reached the ceiling of what I can do with it.

Before I go, I thought I’d share the conversation that shaped my beliefs about helping people the most.

[FINALE] Awakening Compassion at Work - Monica Worline (Replay) (POY 68) - The Plural of You

Monica Worline has co-authored a book about the benefits of compassion at work, and about how we can make our workplaces better for everyone.

pluralofyou.org

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Jun 14

Trump's military parade has sponsors including Coinbase and the UFC. Yes, I'm sure my grandfathers served specifically to prop up the corporatocracy we have today. Thank you, Mr. Trump.

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 26

The Black Lives Matter / "Defund the police" protests in 2020 had no effect on police budgets in Democrat cities but *increased* those budgets in Republican cities—the opposite of what they were going for. Yikes. doi.org/10.1093/socp...

The Effect of the 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests on Police Budgets: How “Defund the Police” Sparked Political Backlash

Abstract. This article investigates whether a core political demand of the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests was realized: “defund the police.” Origin

doi.org

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 17

We shouldn’t need to supplement our social safety nets with things like Little Free Pantries, but here we are. Alex Forsythe, who stewards these pantries, sees a world where everyone has their needs met. We all rely on people like her to catch us when we fall through society’s cracks.

Quote from Alex Forsythe: "The more we expand the [Little Free Pantries] locally, the stronger the safety net becomes and the more we start thinking about community care as a whole."

2 6 9

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 15

I’d like to introduce you to Alex Forsythe. With social safety nets stripped, where can people in need turn to? Alex shares her experience with a network of Little Free Pantries in Alabama. Check out our conversation in my monthly newsletter.

Let's talk about community safety nets 🪢

With social safety nets stripped, where can people in need turn to? Alex Forsythe shares her experience with Little Free Pantries in Alabama.

open.substack.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 14

I can't believe caring about Palestinian children is now considered anti-Semitic. What a world we live in.

Zeteo @zeteo.com · May 14

The New York Times is running a piece questioning why Ms. Rachel is so concerned about kids in Gaza.

We have the answers — watch her full interview with @mehdirhasan.bsky.social.

zeteo.com/p/exclusive-...

EXCLUSIVE: The One and Only Ms. Rachel Opens Up to Mehdi on Her Advocacy for Gaza's Kids

The global YouTube star and educator says “silence wasn’t a choice” for her when it came to speaking out against the killing and maiming of Palestinian children.

zeteo.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 10

I've been writing an encyclopedia of American social issues because I haven't seen one written since the 1990s. I'm up to 420 (heh) social issues affecting Americans and have written entries for about a third of them.

Below is a preview of my list, broken into 11 categories.

Small screen capture of a spreadsheet with 11 columns and 420 text entries.

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · May 9

@pewresearch.org published a data-rich essay about social trust among Americans. They point to education, income, and geography as primary factors in the decline of trust. Their state-by-state map is also something I haven't seen before. Interesting and well done.

Americans’ Trust in One Another

Americans trust each other less than they did a few decades ago. We explore why this is, and why some are more trusting than others.

www.pewresearch.org

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 22

Here's an article related to my recent writing on toxic empathy. Just bewildering.

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · Apr 21

"Lack of empathy for a presidential candidate whose leadership and legacy was harshly (and correctly) assessed by a newspaper: callous and despicable. Empathy for a migrant ripped from his family and abruptly flown to a brutal foreign prison: suicidal."

The Bizarre Right-Wing War on…Empathy?

It’s hypocritical and often misogynistic—and echoes totalitarian rhetoric.

www.thebulwark.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 21

@roderickstruth.bsky.social isn't just wise. He's also humble, especially when talking about his book. 😅 You can hear the whole conversation this month on The Plural of You.

1 1

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 18

3D charts. Ew!

1 1

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 17

@roderickstruth.bsky.social is a wise person. Being prepared doesn’t mean giving up all of your comforts to be an activist. It means starting with what you have to help the people around you, especially your loved ones and neighbors.

Roderick’s book, Starting Somewhere, is full of wisdom like this.

Quote from Roderick Douglass: "This only ends one way: either climate change or revolution. It's probably going to happen in the relatively near future, if not our lifetime then the next generation. This is go-time. We really need to prepare."

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 15

I’d like to introduce you to @roderickstruth.bsky.social. He’s a community organizer from Binghamton, New York. He also wrote a new book titled Starting Somewhere: Community Organizing for Socially Awkward People Who’ve Had Enough.

My chat with Roderick is in my newsletter and podcast.

Organizing for awkward people 📣

Community organizing can be intimidating for many of us who are aspiring helpers. Roderick Douglass wrote a book to share his wisdom about it.

pluralofyou.substack.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Apr 9

I wrote recently about how "toxic empathy" is spreading in American culture. Looks like coverage of the issue is picking up steam.

Unofficial Guardian (UK) Bot @guardian-uk-rss.bsky.social · Apr 8

Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy

Trump’s actions are irreconcilable with Christian compassion. But an unholy alliance seeks to cast empathy as a parasitic plague

www.theguardian.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Mar 27

Hard choice for my favorite, but Jet Li vs. Yasuaki Kurata from Fist of Legend may be it.

Jet Li vs. Yasuaki Kurata - Fist of Legend (Original Cantonese and Mandarin Re-Sound)

YouTube video by Jamyang Pelsang - Film Fight Fanatic

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Josh Morgan

Unofficial Guardian (UK) Bot @guardian-uk-rss.bsky.social · Mar 22

What is the meaning of life? 15 possible answers – from a palliative care doctor, a Holocaust survivor, a jail inmate and more

I asked some well-known names for their thoughts on the ultimate existential question. Their answers were fascinating, funny – and could help us frame our days on Earth

www.theguardian.com

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Mar 22

I recently stumbled onto what I call a "Toxic Empathy" movement in our society, led by Elon Musk. Musk and other far-right grifters are pushing the narrative that empathy is no longer a desirable skill. I couldn't shake my disgust, so I wrote a blog post about it.

In Praise of Empathy: Why “Toxic Empathy” Won’t Last - The Plural of You

A subculture is emerging that claims empathy is “progressive,” “sinful,” and “parasitic.” What can aspiring helpers do to outlast the fad?

pluralofyou.org

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Mar 17

“We all have privilege,” @melaniehood-wilson.bsky.social told me. She said it is the “height of arrogance” to assume we don’t.

Some have labelled privilege a dirty word. For us as empathetic people, it shouldn’t be.

Being aware of what advantages you may have can help you help others.

Quote by Melanie Hood-Wilson: "Privilege is one of those things you don't notice until you don't have it."

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Mar 17

That section radicalized how I think about national politics. Great book!

Josh Morgan @monarchjogs.bsky.social · Mar 15

@peter-metsopoulos.bsky.social Thank you, Peter. I went in and corrected some of the auto-generated text based on your comment.

1 1