You being busy is like sort of sad.

It kind of is sad. It's true.

It is true.

I don't want you to be busy. I want your phone not to ring.

I'm with you, particularly at this age, but in general, yeah, I wish this problem would go away.

Welcome to the assignment. I'm Audie Cornish.

And Joshua Coleman is a psychologist with a very

specific specialty, people who cut ties with their families. It's a line of work he sort of stumbled

into after becoming estranged from his daughter. Years ago, after a divorce, a remarriage,

and the arrival of new children, his daughter, once she reached

her 20s, finally told him how she felt about it all. And then she cut him off. So you've had that

experience of being like, no, no, no, no, no, no, explanation, explanation, explanation, right? So,

like, you've been there. You know

how visceral that can feel. Yeah, it's really shoddy. I mean, I hope I can swear on your show.

You can, it's okay. I've never put a warning on for a psychologist, but now's the time.

I spoke with Joshua Coleman earlier this year about the growing number of people

hitting the block button online or in real life over politics.

We wanted to revisit that conversation for the holidays, a season famous, for bringing

together family and loved ones who may not share your worldview.

And odds are, if you've been at one of those tables,

you know how quickly a harmless holiday catch-up

can turn into a silent standoff.

...