Rutger Bregman’s Call for Moral Courage in an Age of Retreat
So, there’s been quite a bit of conversation lately around Rutger Bregman, and the picture that’s emerging is really interesting — and honestly, quite reflective of the mood many people are feeling right now. Let me walk you through it in a clear, conversational way.
Rutger Bregman, the historian and author best known for challenging the powerful — including that famous viral moment at Davos — is stepping into the spotlight again with this year’s BBC Reith Lectures. His series is titled “Moral Revolution,” and it’s being framed as a bold call to action. Bregman argues that we’re living in what he describes as a “current age of immorality,” and that history shows real change has always been sparked by small, determined groups. Think of the suffragettes, the abolitionists — movements built by ordinary people who refused to look away.
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But here’s the tension: while Bregman is urging society to regroup, reorganise and reclaim its moral voice, the reality on the ground suggests the opposite is happening. People everywhere seem to be withdrawing, ducking under the parapet instead of climbing above it. When faced with crises like war, climate anxiety, political polarisation, or governments that feel unable to make real impact, many are simply turning inward. And honestly? It makes sense. It’s survival.
What’s happening now is a kind of collective emotional retreat. Friends, families, colleagues — more and more people admit they’re unplugging from the constant stream of news. Instead, they’re choosing comfort, focusing on what they can control: their homes, their relationships, their hobbies, their wellbeing. Consumer trends even reflect it. Spending is shifting toward gardens, pets, home comforts, streaming platforms, simple pleasures. UK staycations are back to near-pandemic highs. And news avoidance? It’s booming. According to Reuters, interest in news has dropped by half since 2015.
This isn’t about ignorance — it’s about mental health. People feel overwhelmed. Some block political content entirely, some lean on mindfulness apps, some binge comforting shows like The Repair Shop just to stay balanced. Others journal, cocoon, and prioritise the small joys they can actually sustain. Even carers, working women balancing family budgets, and older generations are choosing connection over despair. It’s a pattern everywhere.
And then, on the other end of the media spectrum, Bregman’s Reith Lecture has sparked political friction. At a BBC recording, his speech — critical of Trump, tech billionaires, and rising populism — was delivered to an audience that cheered its sharpest lines. Critics, however, argue the BBC is platforming a partisan voice, especially after the US President has taken legal aim at the corporation. Others feel Bregman’s warnings about a looming “neo-fascist era” are alarmist; supporters see him as a needed moral compass.
So we’re left with this contrast: Bregman pushing for a moral uprising, while the public — exhausted and emotionally stretched — retreats into their safe zones. And maybe that’s the real story here. It’s not that people don’t care; it’s that they don’t believe their efforts change much anymore. Until that changes, disengagement may remain a perfectly rational way to stay sane.
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