A sense of malaise and anomie is in the air. Trump, as the symbol and the cause of this zeitgeist, is too bright a light and hence it makes critical issues and nuance difficult to spot. There is good news which is hard to notice, and there have been harbingers of our current problems. Both overlooked good news and under-registered early signs of trouble require us to revisit and reassess our diagnostics tools and dominant models. I argue that we have overlooked the vital role of camaraderie and trust; we were too eager to embrace technocratic models, and along the way pasteurized our language and outlook. We need to rehabilitate curiosity, generous listening, and wholesome conversations as vital practices. This may be a good time to dust off our perennial know-how, and double check its content in light of recent social science data. A good conversation is humanity’s most vital innovation and capability, and fortunately it is a capability accessible to every one of us.