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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: October 27, 2020
Institute Communications
No matter your role on campus, there are opportunities for dialogue and community support:
Summary Sentence:
Suggestions for having a civil discussion with someone who doesn't share your views.
Full Summary:
Suggestions for having a civil discussion with someone who doesn't share your views.
Civil DiscourseFor a variety of reasons 2020 has been stressful, frightening, and just plain exhausting. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, some of us have lost loved ones. Many are working from home, and others are unemployed. Wildfires ravaged the west coast as hurricanes and tornadoes battered the Southeast. Protests against racism and police brutality were held around the globe.
And, of course, there is next week’s election, which in some cases has pitted relatives and friends against each other.
At times it seems impossible to talk about politics and current events without ending in a shouting match and hurt feelings. Is it possible to have a civil discussion with someone who doesn’t share the same views?
“A need to focus on being right often leads to missed opportunities to understand one another,” said Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, licensed psychologist and director of the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education (CARE) at Georgia Tech. “Seeking to understand another’s viewpoint does not equate with agreeing with them; it promotes psychological flexibility and a growth mindset.”
Psychological flexibility means recognizing and adapting to various situational demands, and being proactive instead of reactive in acknowledging and owning one’s response.
“It is natural to want to assert our own beliefs, but also very healthy to accept that someone else may hold a different opinion despite your efforts to change them,” Hughes-Troutman said.
Sonia Alvarez-Robinson, executive director of Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting, agrees.
“This time of disagreement and discourse is challenging all of us,” she said. “But we need to keep our focus on what unites us at Georgia Tech — our common mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Regardless of the outcome of the election, our mission remains solid. No matter which candidate we support, vote for, or agree with, our students are our first priority and we need to keep that front and center.”
Alvarez-Robinson said vigorous disagreement with another person can often feel like an adverse event, and if prolonged it becomes a chronic stressor.
“We often have physiological responses to being in conflict with another person — our heart rate goes up, we might have pain in our gut, we might have skin irritations, or even have trouble breathing. These are all signs of stress and distress,” she said.
Stressors caused by conflict can also have a negative impact on personal and professional relationships.
“Research has shown that diversity brings richness, new ideas, insights, and growth that does not happen in a homogeneous group,” said Alvarez-Robinson, who has a doctorate in human and organizational behavior. “Yet studies have also shown that diversity of values, especially when they are deeply rooted, can make productivity and group efficacy more difficult.”
Alvarez-Robinson is the principal empowerment officer of Tech’s Resilience Employee Resource Group. She suggests using resilience as a skill to help grow from the difficulties experienced through discourse. “Resilience can help groups manage diversity of values while also healing from hurt that is created when people become emotionally charged in their disagreements.”
Alvarez-Robinson suggests employing the following coping strategies during this stressful time:
Hughes-Troutman added, “It is essential to acknowledge our feelings and aim for a balanced and healthy perspective to prevent stress levels from escalating.”
