iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

This is spot on! I heard a great phrase: Late Stage Individualism. The solution is potentialism :) thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/solving-th...

thebeaconproject.substack.com

The Solution to the Liberal Conundrum is Hiding in Plain Sight

How to preserve freedom and moral order

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Thrilled to publish this first guest post for our Substack. Enjoy! Full post below 👇🏻 thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/can-this-f...

thebeaconproject.substack.com

Can this framework unite Americans?

How centering an ethos of contribution can bridge political divides

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

But, as Dr. Michael Karlberg argues in this recent post for the Beacon Project, this misses out on important features that are necessary for human flourishing. What we need, instead, is contributive justice: a society that ensures everyone has an opportunity to realize their value.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

How do we build a fair society? You may have heard of the idea of “distributive justice.” This says that a fair society is one where goods and services are fairly allocated across a population.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Fair warning that a solid 50% of my posts may just turn out to be uncovering latent potentialists in psychology, philosophy, and history. Here’s one from the article “Mattering at the Intersection of Psychology, Philosophy, and Politics” onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

To lean into the uncertainty, the controversial assertion, the spicy term. That’s the part that makes writing fun. For too long I’d forgotten what that felt like. Now it’s all I want.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

...and the half-decade of work you put into that article will go up in flames with a stroke of a pen. I am slowly learning to write from a place of joy. To embrace, instead of erase, the jagged parts of the prose that are often the most human parts.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I spent ten years writing from a place of fear. That’s what academic writing does to you. It makes you constantly afraid—afraid that the wrong term, the wrong phrase, the wrong citation will inflame the sensitivities of the wrong reviewer…

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I truly cannot imagine work I would rather be doing or a moment more urgent to do it in. Let's do this!!

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The news could not have come at a better time, as THIS WEEKEND I had the privilege of joining 20 inspiring leaders and scholars at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to kick off this conversation and lay the groundwork these efforts. (More on that soon!)

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

- COMMUNITY: Host in-person multi-day convenings bringing together scholars, philanthropists, and civic leaders to make progress on the Big Question: "What do we owe each other?"

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

- COMMUNICATION: increase our public communications, growing our audience and bringing greater attention to other individuals and organizations already working to strengthen people's sense of mutual obligation and transcend false binaries

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The grant has three parts: - RESEARCH: expand our research capacities and collaborations, using natural language processing, polling, focus groups, theoretical analysis, and experimental methods to explore how Americans think about freedom, responsibility, and mutual obligation

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I've just learned that I've received a transformative, multi-million dollar grant from the Templeton Foundation to support the next phase of our work. The grant is entitled "Freedom and Responsibility: Building a National Narrative of Mutual Obligation."

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

to identify a new "civic vision" (or narrative, or framework, or theory, whatever you want to call it) that can inspire America's Exhausted Majority. I called it the Beacon Project. www.beaconproject.us

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Two years I left academia with the daft ambition of starting a new type of social science lab. Its aim: leverage insights from the latest psychology research to ancient Greek wisdom (and everything in between)…

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

This post took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to write. But I hope it can serve as a foundation for future work as we continue building this new vision for America's Exhausted Majority. Post below! 👇🏻

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

What is a gift, exactly? How do we discover our own? And what does this mean for the way we should treat each other? Those are the questions I tackle in this new post.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁. That's the core maxim of the new political philosophy we are developing at the Beacon Project called "potentialism."

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Freedom is essential. So is a shared sense of the common good. The question is whether this balance can be preserved. I think it can. We just need to realize the truth about ourselves. What do you think? Read the full piece: thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/solving-th...

thebeaconproject.substack.com

Solving the Liberal Conundrum

How to preserve freedom and moral order

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

- You see freedom as not just freedom from coercion but freedom to contribute. - You see communities as support mechanisms for the discovery and cultivation of people’s gifts and talents.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

- You see people not just as consumers of society but as active creators of it. - You see people not as isolated individuals but as interconnected beings. - You see society as a shared enterprise where our ability to thrive depends on others’ ability to do the same.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

At the core of the article is a basic insight: that we experience a sense of meaning when we contribute to others' lives. If we take this idea seriously, it means a radical rethinking of what we owe each other.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

But here's a crazy thought: what if the solution to this conundrum is hiding in plain sight? That's the question I explore in a new article for the Beacon Project. thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/solving-th...

thebeaconproject.substack.com

Solving the Liberal Conundrum

How to preserve freedom and moral order

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

There is a smoldering question at the heart of our political life: how do we balance people's freedom pursue their own path with their obligation to the common good? Thousands of debates roiling our public discourse can be reduced to this simple dilemma.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I spoke with @petedavis.bsky.social for the Beacon Project podcast where he reframes what democracy actually is: not just voting or government structures, but the ongoing act of people collectively building the world they share.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

For most of my life, the word “community” evoked images of boring town hall meetings. But the more I dug into ideas for how to escape our current political mess, the more I realized that there is no solution WITHOUT community. That led me to @petedavis.bsky.social

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Watch my full @cspanwj.bsky.social interview www.c-span.org/program/wash...

c-span.org

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

I joined @cspanwj.bsky.social to discuss the importance of civic education to a pluralistic democracy. How do we show up for each other? How do we navigate difference? We can build more active and productive members of civic life by teaching civic education skills at a young age.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Watch my full conversation on @cspanwj.bsky.social ➡️ www.c-span.org/program/wash...

c-span.org

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

What is the Beacon Project? I joined @cspanwj.bsky.social to discuss our work to identify a vision that speaks to the Exhausted Majority of Americans who feel as though their views are not reflected in current politics and want something better. WATCH:

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Reposted by Daniel Yudkin

RobertNDouglass🇺🇳🇵🇸🇺🇦🇷🇺🇰🇷🇯🇵 @realantipartisan.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Washington Journal #CSPAN #CSPANWJ Skeet at @c-span.bsky.social and cspanwj.bsky.social Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social on survey findings on how USians define civic responsibility in modern life and what it can mean for addressing #politicalpolarization. Watch live here: tinyurl.com/2ntjnby8

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

We all *think* we know a lot more than we actually know. Caroline Mehl at Constructive Dialogue Inst. explains the "illusion of explanatory depth" & how closing gaps between strong views & knowledge makes young people more open to new perspectives. thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/our-minds-...

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Was America always this polarized? How did we get here? And what can we do to foster better communication across lines of difference among the next generation? Watch my conversation with Caroline Mehl at the Constructive Dialogue Institute thebeaconproject.substack.com/p/our-minds-...

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

My takeaway from @spspnews.bsky.social's #SPSP26? Maybe the fact that there's little precedent for this work means it has the potential to meet the moment. Maybe it's OK if what you do takes a little longer to explain. Maybe it's a sign you’re on the right track.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

This work is new and hard to explain. There is little precedent for this type of work in my field. People don't have a neat little "box" that they can slot it into. But if we want to escape our current rut in American politics, we need new ideas—ones that sound weird at first.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

When asked at @spspnews.bsky.social what I've been up to, I told folks that the Beacon Project at @moreincommonus.bsky.social is building a new vision for America's Exhausted Majority. What's the Beacon Project? What do you mean by vision? By the time I answered, people's eyes had glazed over.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Hey psychology friends! If you’re at #SPSP2026, stop by the Morality or Political Psychology precons to see my poster on ideological differences in moral dilemma judgments. We find liberals are more likely than conservatives to excuse low-power individuals for wrongdoing.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

I had a fascinating conversation with Ted Johnson, Senior Fellow at @newamerica.org and columnist at @washingtonpost.com, on civic bravery and how its incumbent on us as ‘moral patriots’ to call out our nation’s institutions when they fall short. open.substack.com/pub/thebeaco...

open.substack.com

What does it mean to be brave right now?

Watch now | A conversation with Ted Johnson, columnist at The Washington Post

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Can we realign civic life with the values of America's Exhausted Majority? I've obsessed over this question for 10 years & I believe the answer is yes. Grateful to Paul Rader for the thoughtful dialogue on potentialism and civic renewal. Give it a listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Ve...

youtube.com

Is Potentialism the Key to American Civic Renewal? w/ Daniel Yudkin | Politics with Paul #79

YouTube video by Paul Rader

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Reposted by Daniel Yudkin

The Syllabus @the-syllabus.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Don’t be fooled: Trumpism is not a monolithic movement. Our hidden gem of the week maps the diverse sections whose shared disgust at elite power and “wokeness” masks sharp splits over democracy and America's future. By @dyudkin.bsky.social et al. at @moreincommonus.bsky.social buff.ly/CK7zFIs

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Reposted by Daniel Yudkin

Opinion Today @opiniontoday.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

The Four Types of Trump Supporter: The president’s political power depends on his ability to play different roles for different parts of his coalition. (@dyudkin.bsky.social and Stephen Hawkins) www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

theatlantic.com

The Four Types of Trump Supporter

The president’s political power depends on his ability to play different roles for different parts of his coalition.

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Our challenge isn't forcing agreement on the "right" way to be a citizen—it's recommitting to the common ground that makes our disagreements survivable. What do YOU think good citizenship requires? Explore the data and take the quiz at civicprofile.us.

civicprofile.us

Civic Responsibility in America

Our country is increasingly polarized. As we approach America's 250th anniversary, it is important to remember the civic responsibilities we all share. Explore how 5,000 Americans think about civic re...

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Daniel Yudkin @dyudkin.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

BUT, we're divided on what we think is most important. More than 4 in 5 Democrats say “supporting equality” is a civic responsibility vs. two-thirds of Republicans. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of Republicans view “loving America” as a civic duty vs. fewer than half of Democrats.

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