Dear Editor,
Re: “Uncomfortable conversations our best hope,” Opinion, Feb. 24.
Thanks for bringing light to this important topic at such a critical time. As you highlighted, finding common ground on the many intractable challenges our society faces today will require a willingness to listen.
How many readers are ready and willing to listen to viewpoints that are directly opposed to their own?
Most readers likely believe they do this already but in the heat of a situation, like the one presented, we see how quickly the human mind shifts to a defensive position where the response is more likely to become reactive, as your reader experienced.
Without strong self-awareness of individual emotional triggers, research shows people are at the mercy of their subconscious.
You mention creating safe forums where uncomfortable conversations can be had instead of trying to control the narrative. Spot on! Unfortunately, uncomfortable conversations are uncomfortable!
Such conversations challenge our own perspectives, our worldview, our values and even our identity. We need to be careful that what one person labels as misinformation is not simply a perspective different from their own.
Even science-based approaches to many issues are often a consensus of professional views rather than a single narrative based solely on any objective fact. It is even more subjective when involving public policy, where choices usually involve value trade-offs of various interests.
For example, who should pay for low-cost rental housing in new buildings? Having discussions and ultimately deciding on the trade-offs to get to consensus of some type is uncomfortable.
As a conflict resolution professional myself, it’s my opinion we need to shift from discussion towards increasing dialogue, along with a broader education of important communications skills.
Critical thinking needs to be core to the public education curriculum. Discussion focuses on debate, division and the differences between alternate views.
Dialogue seeks to understand, find meaning and points of connection. Dialogue encourages listening rather than merely hearing and going further to build upon the best of other’s views to find the optimal solution.
As you said, communication is key and during this critical time, we need to improve our collective communications skills if we seek to move forward respecting each other and building a better community.
Jerome Dickey
RICHMOND
