David French: Can We Handle Criticism Without Breaking?

It started with a dare. David French had his whole life planned out as a teenager — Air Force, fighter jets, the whole thing — until eyesight issues and a friend's bet rerouted him toward the LSAT, and somehow, Harvard Law School. From there, nothing about his career went the way he expected: over a decade defending free speech cases for people on the right and the left, then a writing habit that started as a hobby and eventually carried him to the National Review, the founding of The Dispatch, and a column at the New York Times. David talks with Andrew about what it means to “write with regret instead of outrage” — and what it actually looks like to let real criticism in without letting the bad-faith kind wreck you.

Thought-Provoking Quotes:

“I would just summarize my life or my professional life as I'll just call it the accidental career. Like all the way through.” - David French

"It was literally my experience with people trying to censor me that got me interested in free speech and the First Amendment.” - David French

"My goal is to be a person with thick skin and a soft heart." - David French

"We're not God. We're wrong about a bunch of stuff. And we don't know what we're wrong about, obviously, because if we knew we were wrong, we'd change. So to learn that we're wrong, somebody has to show us." - David French

"A revival usually begins with, 'I have sinned.' A revolution begins with, 'you have sinned.'" - David French

"Write with regret, not outrage." - David French

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

The New York Times — where David is currently an opinion columnist

The Dispatch — outlet David helped launch in 2019, home of his newsletter

National Review — where David wrote from 2015–2019

FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Education) — where David served as president

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) — First Amendment work

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) — First Amendment work

Mere Orthodoxy — publication David mentioned reading a thoughtful critique of his Respect for Marriage Act position in

The After Party — the church-focused project David works on with Russell Moore and Curtis Chang

*Watch this interview on Andrew’s YouTube channel!

*All episode music is by Andrew Osenga.

Guest’s Links:

David French’s Column with the New York Times

David French’s Facebook

David French’s Instagram

David French’s X

Connect with Andrew:

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How to Remember by Andrew Osenga

Hold the Light by Andrew Osenga

*The Pivot is produced in conjunction with Four Eyes Media.