The Psychology of Disagreement

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"I think enormously it humbles you. It forces you to think that maybe you're the person who needs to be accommodated," she says. "Knowing there are two sides expecting there are going to be some objections here ... is a tool to make your arguments better in advance, but also to anticipate that there will be pushed back."

World champion debater Bo Seo knows how to win an argument. He’s made it his mission to teach everyone to disagree better. Bo walks us through how to apply the most effective strategies from competitive debate to improve our disagreements at the dinner table. Bo and Maya also discuss how to determine whether an argument is worth having in the first place.

For more on Bo’s work, check out his book, “Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard.”

If you enjoyed this episode, we recommend this one from the archives: "A Black Musician Takes on the KKK."

For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, follow @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.

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