I’m the Worst: How Freedom Is Found in Admitting Our Faults

In this mixed-bag manifesto, actor and filmmaker Clarkson (A Good Man) urges Christians to accept their inherent weakness in order to live more faithfully. He notes that while it’s tempting to lay “blame for the ills of the world” at the feet of the “other”—those of different religions, political parties, ethnicities—all humans are flawed and “responsible for the darkness that exists in the world.” Acknowledging this is less an admission of failure than a recognition that God has given humanity “a definition of goodness that none of us could possibly reach,” but must strive toward regardless. Readers can use this knowledge to admit their brokenness and forgive themselves and others, which will bring them closer to God. The author also decries modern-day hero worship and cancel culture, suggesting that the latter gains traction from self-conscious fears that “the accusing eyes of the moral mob may make us their next victim.” While Clarkson makes important points about false binaries between “them and us,” he spends more time diagnosing the problem than offering solutions, and fails to make clear subtler distinctions like how to acknowledge one’s faults without descending into self-hatred. This well-meaning guide won’t offer Christian do-gooders much they don’t already know. (Jan.)