On Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary (Oct 2), I engaged in a conversation with a high school student in India on Instagram. He had posted a negative story about Gandhi (calling him harmful) to provoke one of his classmates, who supports Gandhian views. Although Gandhi is revered globally, Indians can have polarized views about him, his methods, and his contributions to India’s freedom struggle against the British.
I invited this student to reflect on how polarized the world already is and how such social media posts can add fuel to the fire. He asked, “What does polarization mean?” His response gave me an instant reality check. Our adolescents may be affected by societal polarization but may know little about it. I explained to him the rising trend of actively ‘othering’ people based on their views and beliefs. “Polarization happens when people who disagree stop talking to each other and keep their distance. They cut ties, hate one another, and actively push each other away,” I explained.
I also discussed the negative effects of polarization on personal and community health, emphasizing the need to learn the skill of disagreeing gracefully. He asked me how to do that, which allowed me to introduce two of my recent practices on curiosity—practicing shallow vs. deep curiosity and asking powerful questions.
“But how to disagree gracefully,” he asked with genuine curiosity. “One way to avoid polarization is to take an interest and show curiosity about what the other person (the perceived opponent) is saying and why they are saying it,” I explained.
“Does that mean I should study their (‘opponents’) point of view?” he asked. “Yes, if you approach conversations with curiosity, you could learn more about other people’s viewpoints. You don’t have to agree with them but that curiosity could lead to exchanging perspectives and learning from each other,” I added.
To demonstrate such curiosity, I gave him an example: “Say I don’t agree with your post about Gandhi. Instead of discarding your views by labeling you as anti-Gandhi, I could ask you, ‘Why do you think Gandhi was harmful to India? Which of his methods do you disagree with?'” He admitted he didn’t fully understand what I was trying to say but added, “The next time he (his ‘opponent’ friend) says something like that, I’ll ask him about his thoughts.”
About two hours later, he posted another story on Instagram celebrating Gandhi and highlighting some of his key contributions to India’s freedom struggle. I was pleasantly surprised and congratulated him on demonstrating an open mind. “I am so impressed with you right now. You have shown you have an open mind. This is what we need in our polarized world—a genuine effort to understand and value each other’s humanity. Proud of you!” I was truly impressed.
Take a look at my recent practices on curiosity—practicing shallow vs. deep curiosity and asking powerful questions. These activities may help our youth learn to bridge differences and counter societal polarization.
#education #bridgingdifferences #curiosity #polarization #SEL
Aakash Chowkase 