It has been said that we live in an argument culture. We talk past one another and discord arises in families, at work, and in communities. Conflicts are unlikely to go away any time soon, so how can we resolve them in creative and constructive ways? The following four Programs from the New Dimensions archive are filled with inspiration to help us transcend our differences.
Most of us are so entrenched in what Tannen calls the “argument culture” that we don’t even realize how it has corroded our spirits. She examines this compulsive use of combative rhetoric in the media and in politics. Tannen is optimistic that we can find new ways to approach the world, citing concrete evidence that a turning point is always possible. Read more »
Attorney Stewart Levine loved the legal profession because of the ideals it represented. But when he realized the practice of law rarely allowed him to consider human values along with property values, he took down his shingle and became an expert in resolving conflicts in a way that preserves relationships as well as legal rights. Read more »
Most of us try to avoid conflict if at all possible. But conflict has been with us since the dawn of time. With wisdom gained from years of spiritual and cross-cultural studies, Combs has identified four phases that each of us moves through as we strive to resolve differences, not only with others but with ourselves as well. Read more »
The Mindells bring empathetic techniques to volatile sociopolitical issues such as gay rights, racism, and sexism, as they work toward mutual understanding. “If you want freedom,” says Arnold, “there’s a price that you have to pay to get it: learning how to bear the difficulties and tensions that really do exist. Without paying that price, freedom doesn’t exist.” Read more »
