Trump-era sanity advice from a maestro

How to move from judgmental rage to something calmer

There’s so much to get judgmental and rage-y about in current events right now. But honestly, judgmentalism was a factory setting for most of us well before Trump came down the escalator. Reflexive scrutiny (usually tinged with disapproval), not only for people with whom we disagree politically, but also for anyone who crosses our path, generally. As Father Gregory Boyle (known to many as Father Greg or Father G — more on him in a moment) has observed, the judging starts as soon as your feet hit the floor in the morning.

I don’t know about you, but I’m personally tired of having this be the soundtrack to my life. It doesn’t feel good. Moreover, it doesn’t feel accurate.

So here are three tips for turning down the volume on moral outrage. NB: In my experience, these strategies reduce toxicity without leading to passivity or credulity.

These all come from Father Greg, founder of Homeboy Industries, who has spent decades working with current and former gang members in Los Angeles. In other words, he comes by this wisdom honestly.

1. Next time you catch yourself judging, “Go against.” We’re all going to judge; it’s human. But Father Greg says the key is what you do next. He advises agere contra—Latin for “to go against”—as a way to override your knee-jerk response. When you notice judgment kicking in, try swapping it for curiosity.

2. Instead of assessing whether someone is evil, ask whether they are healthy. Moral judgments keep us stuck. Father Greg urges us to trade them for something more useful—a kind of “health assessment.” Most harmful behavior, he says, isn’t evil—it’s a symptom of anguish, trauma, or disconnection. So instead of jumping to blame, ask: What pain might be driving this? It doesn’t excuse the harm, but it helps us respond effectively without the unnecessary add-on of hatred.

3. Feeling despair? Add your light to the sum of light. When the world feels hopeless, Father Greg echoes a line from the movie The Year of Living Dangerously (starring Mel Gibson, before he lost his damn mind). Your job is simply to “add your light to the sum of light.” In practical terms, he suggests that means “doing the next loving thing you can do.”

Again, the point here is not to render yourself submissive; it’s to free you up to take the most effective action, unencumbered by blind rage.

Listen to today’s episode of 10% Happier to hear more from Father Greg on how to subvert our cultural addiction to outrage and judgment—and why he believes “cherished belonging” is the only way forward.

Paid subscribers also get an exclusive loving-kindness meditation from our teacher of the month Dawn Mauricio that pairs with the episode. It’s designed to help you practice the skill of compassion for yourself and others—especially when it’s hard.

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Episode cheatsheet

The big takeaway

In an age of division, rage, and despair, Father Gregory Boyle — founder of Homeboy Industries — invites us to stop asking whether people are good or bad and instead ask whether they are well. His key insight: You can resist injustice without vilifying others, and you can confront brokenness by leaning into connection and community.

How to love without losing your mind

Key takeaways:

• From judgment to health: Father Greg suggests replacing snap moral judgments with a simpler question—is this person well? Letting go of “good vs. evil” allows space for compassion and understanding, even in polarized times. This isn’t about approving harmful behavior — it’s about seeing the wound underneath it.

• Loving resistance: It's possible to stand strong and resist injustice or harmful behavior without demonizing others. Cherishing love means rolling up your sleeves and taking action from a place of care, not rage.

• The power of mutual community: Communities that “drive us sane” (not crazy!) are built on tenderness and genuine belonging, not just shared opinions. Healing is contagious when people feel seen, cherished, and surrounded.

• Rewiring how you see others: Boyle recommends a daily stance of “affectionate awe” — noticing pain beneath behavior instead of reflexively judging it. Over time, this retrains your mind toward connection.

6 ways to train your compassion muscle (without burning out):