The Aspen Tradition

David Brooks, writing for The Atlantic, asks a startling question: “Why do so many people think that Donald Trump is a good guy?” His reflection isn’t about politics alone—it’s about our collective ability to recognize goodness in an age where moral clarity seems elusive.

From within the Aspen Tradition, we respond with curiosity. We seek ways to build bridges and bring people together again. Beneath the polarization lies a yearning to be heard, to be seen—and to belong.

We believe empathy begins with vulnerability. In this fragmented cultural landscape, what restores moral imagination is honest story-sharing. It’s speaking our truths across differences and holding space for others to do the same. Listening—not just passively, but with presence—is where ethics begin to breathe again.

🌬️ The Aspen Speaks The Aspen tree teaches us the wisdom of communication. Its leaves shimmer in the gentlest breeze, quivering like voices daring to speak across fear. Underground, its roots form vast networks—an ancient communion beyond the visible. In folklore, the Aspen was a sacred bridge between worlds, a whispering spirit-tree that taught humans to listen to more than their own thoughts.

We honor these teachings when we speak with sincerity and listen without armor, with dialogue grounded in courage and care.

💠 What We Practice We practice truth-telling in daily conversation—with neighbors, coworkers, kin. We allow discomfort and contradiction. We cultivate spaces where honesty can soften division and empathy can re-root itself. In this way, we are seen as we are, and we see others more authentically.

The path forward isn’t paved in certainty or purity. It’s a trail through the grove, lit by the flicker of each person’s voice held compassionately by another.

🕯️ Re-enchantment of Ethics means choosing communion over conquest. It means restoring the moral imagination through relationship, humility, and brave listening.