It’s been quite a year: the second inauguration of Donald Trump, “Liberation Day,” the rise and fall of the DOGE, and so much other disruption in Washington, D.C. The first American pope. The rapidly escalating artificial intelligence (AI) race. Another year of bloodshed in Ukraine. U.S. strikes on the Iranian nuclear program. A hostage release and fragile ceasefire in Gaza. The murder of Charlie Kirk. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The massacre at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. And more.
Over the past 12 months, the headlines have at times been dispiriting or alarming—at others, hopeful, and even funny. As we wave goodbye to 2025, we asked some of the people we think are worth listening to what they learned this year. Here’s the wisdom they say they’re bringing with them into 2026. —The Editors
