How To Talk To People You Don’t Agree With, With Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt

It’s the long weekend, which means that many of us will find ourselves elbow to elbow with family members, some of whom may have wildly differing opinions on topics such as whether the lamb is done yet, and who should be prime minister. Before things get too heated, we recommend listening to this episode.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt will explain why there’s value in being exposed to different opinions, and blogger and entrepreneur Anil Dash talks to us about how we should treat each other despite our differences. Plus, writer and theorist Andra Medea gives us five steps for defusing a fight.

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In This Episode

The Interview: Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt (3:40 – 24:44)

We speak to Jonathan Haidt, co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure. Jonathan argues that campus culture is reducing Gen Z’s ability to engage with different opinions, making them more anxious and more prone to take offence.

Five Steps to Defuse a Fight (26:45 – 31:10)

Andra Medea is the author of Going Home Without Going Crazy: How to Get Along With Your Parents & Family (Even When They Push Your Buttons) and the president of C3 De-Escalation. She’ll tell us how to keep a mild squabble over politics from becoming a full-on food fight.

(Another) Interview: Anil Dash (31:20 – 47:12)

We talk to blogger and entrepreneur Anil Dash about being part of an early internet pile-on, how to curate a more diverse online media diet, and when it’s worth engaging with a troll.

Upgrade of the Week (47:49 – 52:32)

Every week we talk about that one tiny thing that’s making a big difference in our lives. This week we talk about apartment gardening and ditching the gravel, avoiding sleep pills with sleep stories on the Calm app, and a relaxing podcast for when the world is garbage.