Survival School
I've got some news to share (and a coupon code for you, because let's face it: who doesn't like a coupon code?!)
For most of my career, I wrote about what other people were doing. And that was an amazing gig, let me tell you. But times have changed, and so have I. These days, I’m trying to also do some things (which is way scarier).
Today, with my friend and fellow journalist Hélène Biandudi Hofer, we’re launching a digital Master Class to help people understand conflict—and use it to get stronger. It’s inspired by everything in my book High Conflict as well as our experience training thousands of people over the past three years in live Good Conflict workshops worldwide.
The full six-module Master Class is an intensive boot camp designed specifically for leaders who need to communicate in our current age of conflict. (School superintendents, elected officials, nonprofit CEOs, and university leaders—this one’s for you.)
The shorter Intro Course is for anyone who wants to simply get better at listening and finding the root cause of any dispute (Thanksgiving anyone?).
We chose this moment to launch these courses on purpose. Whatever you think about the results of the US election, it’s clear we need to do things differently as a country.
Right now, many of us want to change each other’s minds, but we have no idea how to do it. We are afraid to speak—or to listen. We are being turned against one another with the greatest of ease—by politicians, pundits, foreign agents and media platforms. This is no way to live.
We’ve got to become less vulnerable to manipulation. This means getting smarter about how we fight. It is a huge and complicated challenge, but in our experience, the best way to escape dysfunctional conflict is to generate functional conflict instead. As Hélène put it the day after the election, we all have a choice to make in the weeks ahead:
We hope you’ll check out our new courses and let us know what you think.
Here’s to choosing hope over fear, learning over lamenting,
Amanda
P.S. As subscribers to this newsletter, you get VIP access, naturally. Register for either course at 20% off the normal prices before Nov. 22—using the code LEADER. (And if you can’t afford the discounted rate, don’t worry. We’ve got scholarships!)
Breaking News: A News Source that Heals Relationships?!
In my eternal quest for better news sources (ones designed to make us smarter not just sadder), I started reading Tangle News a couple of years ago. There are a lot of things I like about it, including its dedication to transparency. But until I heard this very charming This American Life story last week, I hadn’t fully appreciated its power.
The episode title perfectly captures why you should listen: “A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope: A wee flame, flickering in the dark.”
The segment profiles a couple that was torn apart by politics—but found a common set of facts again by reading this free, maverick newsletter. Whaddya know? This is one anecdote, I know, not a movement. But Tangle’s readership is about equally split between conservatives and liberals, which is a downright extraordinary feat these days. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
© 2024 Amanda Ripley. See privacy, terms and information collection notice.
Tangle is awesome! The approach Isaac and his team take seems to exemplify good conflict--they stay curious by actively seeking out people who they might disagree with and do a great job of complicating the narrative wherever possible.