Irshad is on fire! My renewed journey on this topic started with Jonathan Haidt (The Coddling . . .) and the Heterodox Society which in turn led me to many places including Persuasion. That said, my favorite epiphany is that, with humility, you must be able to engage with "others" (even THOSE others) to even begin to start a substantiv…
Irshad is on fire! My renewed journey on this topic started with Jonathan Haidt (The Coddling . . .) and the Heterodox Society which in turn led me to many places including Persuasion. That said, my favorite epiphany is that, with humility, you must be able to engage with "others" (even THOSE others) to even begin to start a substantive conversation (which in turn leads to better understanding and, perhaps after lots of work, even better outcomes). To me, increased polarization and a strong disagreement on basic underlying facts makes this even more true. Irshad's book is a fantastic articulation of why this approach is frankly the only constructive way forward and, even better yet, provides the tools needed to engage. As with all things in life, there are no shortcuts - just keep putting in the good work and meet people where they are.
Mike: Yes, exactly, "meet people where they are." In public health advocacy, this is a vital principle. To shame and blame people gets cause-oriented folks nowhere (except further apart from their stated goals!). This principle was belatedly learned during the AIDS epidemic. Public health officials have had to re-learn this principle all over again over the course of this pandemic. (Dr. Julia Marcus, a Harvard epidemiologist, has written a couple of brilliant pieces about the inefficacy of shaming non-maskers and the relative utility of empathizing, then engaging with them.) All to say: you've touched upon the iron-clad law of human psychology -- that if you wish to be heard, you must first be willing to hear. So simple, yet so difficult for those who dismiss the transformational power of humility. Thanks for your comment!
Irshad is on fire! My renewed journey on this topic started with Jonathan Haidt (The Coddling . . .) and the Heterodox Society which in turn led me to many places including Persuasion. That said, my favorite epiphany is that, with humility, you must be able to engage with "others" (even THOSE others) to even begin to start a substantive conversation (which in turn leads to better understanding and, perhaps after lots of work, even better outcomes). To me, increased polarization and a strong disagreement on basic underlying facts makes this even more true. Irshad's book is a fantastic articulation of why this approach is frankly the only constructive way forward and, even better yet, provides the tools needed to engage. As with all things in life, there are no shortcuts - just keep putting in the good work and meet people where they are.
Mike: Yes, exactly, "meet people where they are." In public health advocacy, this is a vital principle. To shame and blame people gets cause-oriented folks nowhere (except further apart from their stated goals!). This principle was belatedly learned during the AIDS epidemic. Public health officials have had to re-learn this principle all over again over the course of this pandemic. (Dr. Julia Marcus, a Harvard epidemiologist, has written a couple of brilliant pieces about the inefficacy of shaming non-maskers and the relative utility of empathizing, then engaging with them.) All to say: you've touched upon the iron-clad law of human psychology -- that if you wish to be heard, you must first be willing to hear. So simple, yet so difficult for those who dismiss the transformational power of humility. Thanks for your comment!