I think inoculation theory is fascinating and have studied it and read up on it. And I think it's highly ironic that we're using inoculation theory to talk about inoculations, just putting those two together. The idea of pre-exposing people before they actually get it and preparing them for how to respond is very, very powerful. Every audience is not the same. Please adjust your messaging. My mother Yasmin Halima is expert at knowing her audience ... She works wonders against people who might be entrenched in their beliefs.
Why does disagreement feel so personal? According to author, journalist, and physician Seema Yasmin, it’s because beliefs aren’t just about what we think, they’re about who we are.
“What [people] believe is entrenched in them, and it’s to do with their sense of belonging and their sense of identity,” says Yasmin. Whether we’re butting heads over something trivial like sports or something major like COVID-19 vaccines, Yasmin points out that the disagreement is just the surface — underneath are complex layers of geopolitics, history, language, dialect, culture, faith, family history, and power hierarchies.
So how do we show compassion to others, especially when we disagree with them? Yasmin and host Matt Abrahams explore strategies for more empathetic communication in this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart.
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