About this episode

Yael Schonbrun interviews Amanda Ripley about her book on high conflict and how to navigate it effectively.

Being absolutely sure you’re right should settle an argument, but somehow, it often does the opposite. Instead, things escalate, tensions rise, and before you know it, the conflict has taken on a life of its own.  For this episode, Yael welcomes New York Times bestselling author, trained mediator, and Good Conflict co-founder Amanda Ripley to unpack her book High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped, and How We Get Out , and the difference between “good conflict” that strengthens us and “high conflict” that feeds on contempt, disgust, and rigid us-versus-them thinking.  You’ll hear why high conflict makes us more error-prone while feeling more righteous, how group belonging and media incentives can keep the cycle going, and practical ways to interrupt the pattern like Gary Freeman’s three-question pause before speaking.  Listen to learn how to stay in the fight without losing nuance, curiosity, or yourself. Listen and Learn: The distinction between healthy conflict that helps you grow and the kind that quietly turns destructive in ways you may not notice  Why conflicts can quietly take over our thinking, shifting us into an us-versus-them mindset  Why do we get…

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