Tough Conversations

As I scrolled through social media recently, I found myself feeling shocked and angered by a friend’s post that I perceived as deeply insensitive. She is not a friend I see every day and my first reaction was to stop following her.

But then I took a deep breath and considered how well-intentioned this friend usually is. What if I was interpreting her post in a way that she hadn’t intended? Social media is tricky that way. Sometimes even the pros find themselves mired in unintended controversy following the release of what they thought would be innocent public comments.

Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.

—Margaret Wheatley

I wasn’t sure how my friend would react, but I ultimately decided to confront her about this post. She was immediately receptive to hearing my point of view. We ended up having an extremely productive conversation that gave us both more information about each other and the topic at hand. In the end, she deleted the post.

The fact that she was so open to discussion was inspiring to me and gives me hope at a time when the political backdrop in our country is so divisive and isolating. Staying in our bubbles and having commiserating conversations with only those who agree with our views can be limiting and counterproductive. As I found with my friend, initiating a respectful conversation might just result in an outcome that leaves you feeling better and more connected.