We can either lament the divisions in our society—or commit to bridging them. Help create a positive shift that fosters understanding, connection, and shared humanity.

The more diverse the setting, the more difficult it is for most of us to feel safe expressing our deeply held beliefs and appreciating those of others. However, we can create, support, and encourage a more civil society while maintaining our identities, values, and perspectives.

This course will explore choices that help reduce the dichotomy of “us” (i.e., people who are like me) and “them” (i.e., people I see as different). We will discuss some of the factors that contribute to perceived differences and polarization such as the following: “label liability,” “virtue variation,” “exclusive phrasing,” “trust gaps,” and “fixed mindset” vs. “growth mindset.”

What to Expect:

You can expect to develop skills that will help you to relate to people you perceive to be different and to do so in ways that are healthy and beneficial to yourself and to others. These skills include active listening, decentering, empathizing, interpersonal mindfulness, and trust building. And yes, they take a bit of practice!

Clinton Pettus, Ph.D., is a seasoned professional in Personality Psychology (Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) and a certified Conflict Resolution Mediator. He specializes in facilitating effective dialogue across perceived differences. Drawing on more than 40 years of professional experience in higher education teaching and administration and humanitarian leadership (serving as the programs leader for the American Friends Service Committee), Clinton has dedicated his third career to facilitating training for individuals seeking to build skills for connecting across differences. His sessions invite deep reflection, dialogue, and practical steps toward greater understanding and connection across categories like age, class, ethnicity, gender identity, political identity, religious identity, and sexual orientation. Clinton’s unique perspective highlights that while many express concerns about societal divisions, few recognize how they personally contribute to those perceived divides—or what tangible, actionable steps they can take to bridge them. His sessions are dedicated to reflection, dialogue, and practical steps toward greater understanding and connection.