Sharon Salzberg's advice for difficult conversations with family at Thanksgiving? Practice listening from a place of generosity and love — whether you agree or not.
Understanding
View
- List View
- Standard View
- Grid View
17 Results
On questioning the habit of vilifying “gun people” for a fundamental part of their lives and identities — and on the deeper understanding that might bring us closer to the solution to violence that we all seek.
A young man sets a resolution for himself, and for us: to engage deeply with those on the other side, not with the goal of being right, but to recognize the desire for good that we all share.
Acknowledging the limits of our own experience, and the spiritual challenge of building deep relationships with those outside our cultural comfort zones.
To live fully and well, we need diversity — in nature and in our lives together.
A reflection on the emotional drain of civil conversation, and how we can reframe our thinking to see the best in each other — even those we deeply disagree with.
A recent college graduate embarks on a 4,000-mile walking trek across the United States. His only goal is to listen. A powerful story of encounter and lending a kind and judgment-free ear, even when it frightens him.
What if we considered our nation not as factions at war, but as members of a strained and troubled family? A look through the lens of the three stories that broken families tell — and what that marginalized, third story reveals about the echo chambers we've been called to step out of.
Witnessing the divorce of his friends, our columnist remembers the rituals of celebration. But, what would it be like to have similar rituals of support when things fall apart?
A white Evangelical Christian, and a Trump supporter, offers a gentle challenge: to put our preconceived notions aside, and understand each other more deeply than what we put on our ballots.
An immunologist thinks through the deeper sources of election stress, and offers up cognitive and spiritual solutions to the anxiety we feel.
We can begin to understand each other by asking the right questions — and listening to the stories we receive in turn. Lori Lakin Hutchinson sheds frank and essential light on the reality of racism in America.
Can we be more generous in understanding those who are different from us? Parker Palmer recounts lessons learned over a lifetime on our true proximity and kinship with “the other.”
Facing fear is easier said than done. Parker Palmer on having an empathetic imagination for the inner battles we're all fighting, especially those we can't see.
Pride for our identities and communities can be a source of strength. Pride can also lead us to forget empathy for those unlike us. A generous reminder that the reach of our compassion must stretch beyond the familiar.
Civilizations elevate the best in cultures and people. A composer encourages us to rethink the phrase "clash of civilizations" and, by definition, civilization can only fuel human flourishing.
The first of eight vignettes by photographer Matthew Septimus and poet Esther Cohen on holy people and holy places that transcend the ordinary.
The Pause
Join our constellation of listening and living.
The Pause is our seasonal Saturday morning ritual of a newsletter. Replenishment and invigoration in your inbox. Wisdom to take into your week. And when you sign up, you’ll receive ongoing, advance invitations and news on all things On Being.
Search results for “”
View
- List View
- Standard View
- Grid View
Filters
Listen
Read