Member-only story
A Year of Life-Changing Ideas
As Forge turns one, we look back at the stories that helped us make sense of the last 12 months — and provide a blueprint for your future
One year ago, we introduced our new publication, and characterized its world like this:
“Self help” has come a long way, and in its current iteration we talk more about progress, bravery, and mindfulness; doing more, and being more creative. The field has become less gendered, more universal and global, and a whole lot more interesting than it once was.
Here at Forge, we’re all obsessed with the individual’s engagement with the world. What we didn’t know in June 2019 was how crucial that engagement would become. The pandemic, the ongoing fight against racial injustice, and the financial crisis are forcing us all to understand that self-improvement can’t happen without collective improvement. Personal growth can’t be achieved without communal growth.
These stories stand out to us in particular — because they are self-help stories that address something much bigger than the self. Implicitly or explicitly, they express certain truths about how to engage. And while they reflect the turbulence of the past year, they also provide a blueprint for a future that will be defined by those who are…
