What does it mean to act beyond the edge of our comfort when there is genuine risk involved?

And what does courage look like when the stakes are real, the systems around us are powerful, and the outcome isn't guaranteed?

For this episode we welcome Karim Bouris, Principal of Strategy and Advocacy at Mixte Communications. He joins Nathan for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, propaganda, media, identity, values-driven work, and the difficulty of staying engaged when the world gives us plenty of reasons to disengage.

That leads to a deeper conversation about the stories Western culture tells about individualism, success, and responsibility. Karim and Nathan explore how the idea that “the problem is you” can obscure the systems and structures surrounding us—and how collective forms of courage can be harder to recognize when we're accustomed to looking for individual heroes.

The conversation eventually moves into Karim's Palestinian and Lebanese identity and his advocacy work around Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and media coverage of the conflict. Karim discusses the importance of language, the politics of naming, the distinction he draws between Zionism and Judaism, and what he sees as the consequences of applying different standards and terminology to different groups.

Throughout the conversation, the question isn't simply whether we should be more courageous. It's what conditions make courage possible—and what stories, communities, and practices can help us keep showing up even when we don't know how the story ends.

Karim Bouris is Principal of Strategy and Advocacy at Mixte Communications, a boutique communications firm that works with organizations focused on justice, health, and freedom. With more than 20 years in advocacy communications, Karim works at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, public relations, and social change.

Karim describes himself as 100% Palestinian, 100% Lebanese, and 100% American. His family history, experience as the child of refugees, and search for language to describe his own identity have deeply shaped his approach to advocacy and communications.

At Mixte, Karim and his colleagues work with organizations whose missions they believe in, including tribal nations, labor groups, housing advocates, and civic organizations. His work centers on helping people hear difficult messages, understand why they matter, and engage rather than tune out.

Links:
Mixte Communications — gomixte.com
Karim on LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/karimbouris/
Karim on Instagram — instagram.com/karimbouris/
Karim's essay on Arab identity and the “Shami” framing — gomixte.com/blog/arab-identity-shami