The anger and hate currently growing in the United States are deeply troubling. But how do we respond? It takes a great deal of courage to resist the urge to scream back at someone screaming at you, but that is exactly what we need to do. Take these four steps to use your compassion to respond productively to hate.
Exclusion and othering are as old as humanity, with tragic impacts. The marginalized suffer violence, poorer health outcomes, shorter lifespans, food insecurity, reduced access to work and housing, and routine indignities in everyday interactions. There is hope, however. The same neuroscience that explains our urge to other also shows us the way forward and away from othering.
Laura Berland and Evan Harrel of the Center for Compassionate Leadership recently sat down with Chris Whitehead for his podcast, The Compassionate Leader Interview. Listen to the podcast here and read a summary of the interview. (Note: Podcast was recorded prior to COVID-19 galvanizing everyone’s focus, and therefore does not touch on the global pandemic.)
