October 10, 2024 Read Time:
Connectingadult learningFall GatheringAmanda RipleyGood Conflict
In her book High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, journalist and author Amanda Ripley explores the damage we can cause when we box people into rigid categories or demonize those who think differently. Today we’re seeing this happen more and more as Election Day gets closer. Whether on social media, on television, at work, or in our communities, many people are stuck in what Ripley calls “high conflict” - the kind of ugly, unproductive disputes that can divide us, block progress, and leave us feeling frustrated.
Ripley suspected that such “high conflict” does not have to be our reality. She set out to understand how people can navigate conflicts that seem immovable - whether personal, political or otherwise. She followed people from all walks of life: a local politician in California, a former gang leader in Chicago, an environmental activist in England, and everyday voters in New York and Michigan. They were all searching for a way to break free from divisive conflict and find common ground.
As I read Ripley’s book, I was captivated by her compelling storytelling and the transformations these people experienced over time and with much reflection.
Ripley demonstrates that “high conflict” can be turned into “good conflict,” the kind that pushes us to learn and grow, and even come to respect those we once did not understand.
Ripley and her fellow journalist Hélène Biandudi Hofer have since turned these ideas into Good Conflict, an organization that helps people reimagine conflict in a way that preserves everyone’s dignity and builds connection. We are fortunate to have Ripley and Biandudi Hofer joining us for our Fall Gathering, where they will share their four-step framework for turning high conflict into good conflict.
Please join us for this special keynote session and others focused on navigating, planning for and engaging in different types of good conflict on November 5 (Election Day), at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School (ENSATS) in Danvers. Please see additional details about our Fall Gathering, “Conversations We Need to Have (but often avoid)” and a link to register below.
Our community is buzzing with activity these days, some of which is captured below. Keep checking our Learning Agenda and our biweekly newsletter for information about upcoming experiences, all of which are available to everyone in our partner school districts. We hope to see you - either in person or online - very soon, and please reach out with any questions.
