A Video My Dad Sent, And How I'm Learning To Think About Conflict

Learning is messy.

I've been pretty frustrated over the last few months, for plenty of reasons.

I've also felt great, for the record, as well as overwhelmed, grateful, tired, enthusiastic, and hungry. Lots of feelings, generally.

Anyhow, regrading the frustration--I've had a hard time finding peace, when the chasms in several of my communities are so painfully, plainly present.

My dad had me watch a video a few weeks ago--there are more like it, and other studies published with similar (and sometimes contrary) findings. In this particular video, produced by BigThink, a company which self-describes as "the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content," psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz detailed a study in which examining brain structure helped her identify, with fairly high accuracy, if someone thinks, feels, and acts like a "liberal" or a "conservative."

As her neuroscientific explanation played out (think words like "anterior cingulate gyrus" and "amygdala"), a few dots connected. Now, I'm not going to claim anything grander than personal realization here. This is a fairly elementary idea, I'm just new to it.

I believe in intelligent design; that's an important detail here. Anyhow:

Maybe we were made to disagree.

That could mean that, in many circumstances, being "right" and convincing others to be "right" isn't the way to win at all. How could only one way be the "right" way to think, behave, and feel, if we were made differently (and of course nurtured differently)? 

Rather, the victory may be found when we choose to do hard things: to engage, discuss, listen, mutually compromise, and act together.

Maybe that's how we get a taste of heaven on earth.

If that's true--then conflict isn't inherently bad, and contrasting perspectives should be expected, and certainly sought out. If this is true, then the pursuit of peace is the pursuit of growing in our maturity, choosing to try, and choosing to care about HOW we engage in conflict.

Thank you for allowing your photographer to be someone with big feelings, evolving thoughts, and questions she can't answer.

If you're looking to book soon, come on with it! Be brave.