Author: Skunkworks

Congratulations on completing the Bridging Differences Initiative! Once you have had an opportunity to try out one or more strategies from each week, we invite you to complete our brief end-of-course survey over the coming week, which should take 1-2 minutes of your time: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b7qfn5JrJsf8XdQ Thank you for participating in our study, your participation is…

Congratulations on completing the Week 2 readings! We now invite you to try out one or more of the Week 2 skills and strategies. As a reminder, the six Week 2 (interpersonal) skills are: Skill #6 – Listen with Compassion Skill #7 – Put People Before Politics Skill #8 – Perspective Taking and Giving Skill…

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own thoughts and emotions that we have a hard time considering someone else’s point of view. To avoid this trap, try to think about yourself or talk to yourself in the third- or second-person instead of the first-person. Research suggests that “self-distancing” through this simple change in…

If you’re trying to appeal to people with a different ideology, try to discover what values resonate with them – then present your argument in terms of how it supports those values, not in terms of your own values. How to Do It First, it’s important to make sure the values or morals you believe…

Even when someone seems different from you, chances are you can find at least one important identity you have in common – it could be a role you share (you’re both students) or a group you both belong to. Often those shared identities are bigger and more significant than our differences. For instance, you might…

Imagining the perspective of someone from a different group – trying to see the world through their eyes and understand where they’re coming from – improves our attitudes toward that other group and makes us less likely to see them as the “Other.” However, for members of groups with less social power, giving their perspective…

It can be hard to have constructive political conversations – especially when we’re often quick to stereotype people based on their political and related views. But if you get to know the other person first as an individual, and perhaps even better understand why they developed their perspective, the conversation is likely to be more…

We’re more likely to want to bridge our differences with someone when we feel heard and understood by them – and we’re more effective at connecting with someone when we really listen to where they’re coming from. This practice helps you tune into what someone else is saying and convey that you’re paying attention to…

Week 2: Interpersonal The six skills and strategies included in this section are those you can deploy during interactions with other people. Some can help you step back in the heat of a moment and prevent a conflict from escalating; others can help you form stronger connections with people who you might see as different…

Congratulations on completing the Week 1 readings! We now invite you to try out one or more of the Week 1 skills and strategies. As a reminder, the five Week 1 (intrapersonal) skills are: Skill #1 – Assume Good Intentions Skill #2 – Practice Mindfulness Skill #3 – Expand Your Activities, Expand Your Views Skill…