When I began to write this, the Beijing Winter Olympics were going on,1 and as often happens during major sporting events, the question of "fairness" was raised. Which country should an athlete be allowed to represent? Does it make a difference if the athlete is a potential champion, as opposed to a lower-ranked competitor? What … Continue reading No such thing as fair
Connection
Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
I recently wrote a multi-part series about how to argue better. I wrote it for anyone who wants to argue in a way that connects rather than divides, but I realized as I wrote that the same techniques could be used by leaders to become better at their work. Here were the steps: Decide what … Continue reading Neglected skills of a leader: humility and empathy
Explode Labels (Argue Better 2021 #7)
This is the seventh in a series called “Argue Better 2021” about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first | second | third | fourth | fifth | sixth Every summer in college I would pack all … Continue reading Explode Labels (Argue Better 2021 #7)
Triangulation (Argue Better 2021 #6)
Photo by Rafael Garcin on Unsplash This is the sixth in a series called “Argue Better 2021” about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first | second | third | fourth | fifth In the previous post, … Continue reading Triangulation (Argue Better 2021 #6)
Get curious, then confirm (Argue Better 2021 #4)
This is the fourth in a series called “Argue Better 2021” about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first | second | third I have a friend- let's call him Ned - who was having a tough … Continue reading Get curious, then confirm (Argue Better 2021 #4)
Choose the right partner (Argue Better 2021 #3)
This is the third in a series called "Argue Better 2021" about how we can improve how we argue, discuss, and engage with each other. If you missed the previous entries, you can find them here: first second Some readers wrote to me after the last post saying that they've tried to connect with people, … Continue reading Choose the right partner (Argue Better 2021 #3)
What would it take to change your mind? (Argue Better 2021 #2)
This is the second in a series called "Argue Better 2021" exploring how we might engage better with each other. If you want to start at the beginning, check out this post. In one of my college anthropology courses the class was presented with an unexpected question: What would convince you that the theory of … Continue reading What would it take to change your mind? (Argue Better 2021 #2)
Red Goggles 