Gurteen Knowledge Blog January 13, 2021, 11:37Over the past few years, much has been reported in the press about so-called cancel culture and deplatforming where activists deny speakers with controversial opinions access to University venues. In 2019 Cambridge University rescinded its offer of a visiting fellowship to Jordan Peterson, who has attracted controversy for his views … Continue reading Freedom of Speech in Universities It’s our duty to tolerate colleagues even when they say things that we consider foolish
Gurteen Knowledge Blog February 28, 2024, 19:38Watch this brief video, which is under 2 minutes long. It shows a young woman asking a question of Allen West (an American politician) in an aggressive manner. I wonder where she learned this confrontational style. She likely picked it up from observing professional interviewers and politicians exhibiting similar behavior. … Continue reading The Importance of Teaching Respectful Conversation A necessity for a healthy society
To discredit someone means to cause them to lose people’s respect or trust. We acquire most of our knowledge by accepting the beliefs of those people or institutions we trust, so discrediting authority figures or institutions is one of the most effective, though immoral, ways of opposing an idea. In practicing Conversational Leadership, we should … Continue reading Discrediting People ** Cause them to lose the respect or trust of others
Show respect: We often show disrespect for people with whom we disagree. This is damaging to the relationship and society. However, we do not need to respect someone or their ideas to show them respect. The Problem When people disagree with us over things we care deeply about, it is far too easy to assume … Continue reading Show Respect Failing to respect one another negatively impacts the future for all of us
What is the concept of face? The concept of “face” refers to the reputation and honor of an individual or group. It is a culturally-bound concept that is particularly important in many Asian societies, although it can also be found in other cultures worldwide. The idea of face is closely tied to a person’s status … Continue reading Losing and Giving Face The fear of losing face is a significant barrier to open conversation in many cultures
