Waking Up Is Not Enough Episode 24 - How and Why Conflict Avoidance Is Harmful and Dehumanizing in Leadership, Families, and Communities

We need dialogue with others who think and feel differently from ourselves because we so easily deceive ourselves. Every project we develop, from science and technology, to art and culture, is a long conversation with others.  In these activities, our self-protection and self-promotion, as well as our desire to defeat others, clouds our self-awareness, but we can correct that problem through dialogue. When we avoid conflict and difficult conversations, we cheat ourselves of expanding our self-awareness or knowledge. Even well-meaning people may avoid conflict and gossip behind the back of a family member, co-worker, or leader and in this way dismissing another person or another position. Conflict avoidance is often a step towards dehumanization. In this fascinating conversation, Mike and Polly talk about how conflict avoidance diminishes waking up.