Imagine a brick wall. Thick. Impenetrable. Heavy. You are standing on one side. On the other side, there is something, but you can’t see it. You can’t hear it. All is quiet. All is silent.
Silence is the absence of sound, the absence of a voice, and most importantly, the absence of change. In the world today, we are constantly faced with this problem. More and more people are going silent, and the world is suffering because of it. Many countries are plagued by silence as polarization and opposition become common ground, rather than peace and harmony.
In America, studies show that often people remain silent to avoid conflict. Scientist Christopher Olver describes this as “a community phenomenon often called the ‘spiral of silence’ — a pattern in which individuals are reluctant to express opinions when they perceive that the majority does not support their views”. Olver goes further to say that today, “Opinion becomes homogenous and dissent rare,” showing the growing problem associated with this phenomenon. More people are avoiding these discussions, which is leading to a crisis in communication.
To combat this, a group called Braver Angels recently visited ASIJ, hoping to see a future in which more people feel comfortable sharing their diverse opinions. A student at our school, Meredith Michels, says this goes hand in hand with the Quiet Crisis she has taken the initiative to battle. She defines “The Quiet Crisis” as an environment in which people remain quiet when faced with political or other beliefs that don’t align with their own. She discussed how she saw this at ASIJ and hoped to inspire change among the students here, working to put an end to the crisis. Meredith recounts how she “searched for speakers or programs, and found the biggest depolarisation organisation—Braver Angels—which had workshops designed specifically for teenagers like ASIJ high schoolers.”
Braver Angels is based in America and works particularly to help depolarize political conversations. They work to find the ‘common ground’ between people, trying to bridge differences. Their mission was to bring this to ASIJ to help bring our community closer together and strengthen relationships within our school.
At ASIJ, Braver Angels hosted a series of workshops for students to attend. Within these workshops, students had the opportunity to learn about polarization and why it is a problem. In addition, students had the opportunity to learn about LAPP skills, which encourage students to listen, acknowledge, pivot, and then offer their perspectives.
These skills aim to diffuse high-tension conversations and then allow students to offer their opinion in a respectful manner. In a world constantly polarized, these skills are extremely important.
Additionally, Braver Angels worked with students to help them understand the importance of listening to and understanding others’ points. Many people, myself included, find it difficult to truly listen to a person; accordingly, Braver Angels teaches students to use listening skills as a driving force in these conversations. By allowing others to feel heard, you encourage the person you are talking to to hear you out as well, fostering the growth of diverse opinions.
Ultimately, Braver Angels argued that while we all have different opinions and ideas, these ideas are no good if we never share them. By being able to calmly discuss topics that make most people extremely angry, we can build a more interconnected school and community. We can celebrate these differences and build bridges between the gaps in our opinions. The path towards depolarization won’t be easy, but with each difficult conversation tackled, the world is becoming a better place. Going forward, when students are confronted with difficult conversations, they take them on rather than grow silent. It may not be easy, but the result will benefit our school and the world greatly.
Now, imagine that brick wall from the beginning. Imagine each conversation as a brick. Every time you hold one of these conversations, a brick is taken down from the wall. Every person contributes, and together, this wall can come down. Together, we can see the other side.
