Collection
Modern Life
![In Defense of Misfits: The Transcendence of an Unconventional Life](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/87df6db6-1f1f-4b05-95dd-118770600fd1/53823661837_0b1ee54615_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=1921%2C0%2C3097%2C4640&w=400)
A nonbinary comedian challenges us to question our notions of self, gender and society, and opens our eyes to what we may gain in the process.
![Supercommunicators: The Science of Conversation and Connection](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/4439f33b-44f3-4ce3-918c-6b7713b6017a/53825026550_67fcc31319_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=18%2C0%2C1562%2C879&w=400)
Why do some conversations succeed while others stumble? The neurology and psychology of communication offer surprising explanations for why human connection goes right or wron...
![Forgiveness in Times of Turmoil](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/6a39dfbb-1abd-4ee5-9416-2290484c22f4/53823968189_21a4f4f910_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C242%2C4650%2C2616&w=400)
As the stakes of political confrontation have escalated, the issue of forgiveness is complicated. Should one ever hold the line rather than look for avenues of reconciliation,...
![Choosing Our Families](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/3812d6cd-ff04-4feb-b0a9-ab271b9c5849/53823337075_48dbca4089_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C307%2C8256%2C4646&w=400)
Marriage rates have been decreasing for decades, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t finding new ways to create family ties that bind. Family bonds in the LGBTQ community and...
![The Case for College](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/66eee91f-3270-410f-acae-c4596ed8cdfe/53823335620_1f8b7695d2_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=3392%2C845%2C3110%2C4659&w=400)
In “Mindset Matters,” Daniel R. Porterfield advances the argument for the value of undergraduate education and suggests ways to improve education for new generations. Three co...
![Teens and Screens: The Unabating Scourge of Social Media](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/8214379e-2ce8-4e54-ba3a-f2b5b42982f7/teensandsocialmedia.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C7382%2C4160&w=400)
America’s teenagers are facing a mental health crisis; 1 in 3 teen girls say they’ve considered suicide in the past year. Many young people, parents and mental health professi...
![Hope in Troubling Times](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/c8fb1f7b-adba-4af8-86d7-9a2b48821699/53820332913_a0b17339ec_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C5868%2C3302&w=400)
Spiritual leaders and lifelong seekers reflect on how to cope and find optimism in dark times.
![The Gender Question](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/adb6d74c-e8ff-4426-9608-6660aefdb2d1/53819835467_f51c35422c_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=4%2C0%2C8248%2C4640&w=400)
The U.S. is queerer than ever — and surveys confirm that 20th-century heterosexual “normalcy” is on the wane. Why is gender the diversity dimension that has changed the most o...
![The Crisis in Trust](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/02f10f22-5fd4-4b5c-99c3-d3e2502bdf52/53821399919_115686be5a_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C4651%2C2618&w=400)
In a time of widespread suspicion and cynicism, everyone has a role to play in strengthening social trust and building bridges. How can individuals and organizations work toge...