Wisdom Road - The Journey

A 20,000‑mile, seven-month road trip into the hidden heart of America: An audacious journey in search of kind strangers, cultural wisdom, common ground and civility in a time of rising anger and division, wrapped in a powerful travel memoir of places most of us never get to see. This inspiring journey is a hopeful invitation to rediscover the humanity that we all share.

A Selection of Voices from Wisdom Road

"I am always asking the question, ‘How do I leverage this opportunity to raise other
people up?"

— Phyllis — "I am always asking the question, ‘How do I leverage this opportunity to raise other people up?" — Phyllis

"People should remember when they sit down to their table how hard someone
worked to give them that food."

— Dagoberto — "People should remember when they sit down to their table how hard someone worked to give them that food." — Dagoberto

"The notion of the common good: if we should teach anything, maybe that's where we should start."

— Juliet — "The notion of the common good: if we should teach anything, maybe that's where we should start." — Juliet

"Wisdom is the beginning of understanding. If you have wisdom, you're gonna know that if you treat a person a certain kind of way, it is gonna fall back on you.”

— Gina — "Wisdom is the beginning of understanding. If you have wisdom, you're gonna know that if you treat a person a certain kind of way, it is gonna fall back on you.” — Gina

"I like to tell people we’re looking at the future. What are we going to tell our children? Are
we part of the solution? Or are we part of the problem?"

— Kat — "I like to tell people we’re looking at the future. What are we going to tell our children? Are we part of the solution? Or are we part of the problem?" — Kat

"I am trying to help people who are way down. I show them compassion
because a lot of your neighbors just want you to listen and just don’t blow them off."

— Brother Henry — "I am trying to help people who are way down. I show them compassion because a lot of your neighbors just want you to listen and just don’t blow them off." — Brother Henry

"I try my hardest to go into conversations with people I don’t agree with, with a
presumption of good faith."

— Emily — "I try my hardest to go into conversations with people I don’t agree with, with a presumption of good faith." — Emily

"If we want to heal some of these divides, first we have to heal ourselves. You do that by
learning, and then you have something to offer. What you really offer is yourself."

— Mona — "If we want to heal some of these divides, first we have to heal ourselves. You do that by learning, and then you have something to offer. What you really offer is yourself." — Mona

"If I let you offend me, if I let you anger me, then I'm the one who suffers, not you."

— George — "If I let you offend me, if I let you anger me, then I'm the one who suffers, not you." — George

"Being alone, being quiet, provides special access to one's self, one's soul. Much of the cacophony of human input eventually becomes at least secondary, if not absent."

— Laurel — "Being alone, being quiet, provides special access to one's self, one's soul. Much of the cacophony of human input eventually becomes at least secondary, if not absent." — Laurel

"If you don't believe as I believe, it proves that you don't believe as l believe, that's all."

— Don — "If you don't believe as I believe, it proves that you don't believe as l believe, that's all." — Don

"We used to be able to have a friendly discussion. We are angry. People say, 'l don't know what to believe'. I think that the news media back then was more accurate and not so biased."

— Sharon — "We used to be able to have a friendly discussion. We are angry. People say, 'l don't know what to believe'. I think that the news media back then was more accurate and not so biased." — Sharon

Wisdom Road: Searching America for Civility, Shared Values, and Common Ground

“During thirty weeks spread over seventeen months, and nearly 20,000 miles through less-visited parts of 33 states in my home-and-office-on-wheels, mostly on slow-paced two-lane back roads, I had the privilege to seek, deeply listen to, and reflect on the humanity I found with more than 125 people I formally interviewed, and countless others with whom I crossed paths.”

— Grant Lichtman, Wisdom Road

The Journey of Wisdom Road