meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Up First from NPR

The Science of Disagreeing Well

Up First from NPR

NPR

Daily News, News

4.5 • 52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 24 November 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What turns a playful debate into an angry, tearful argument? Or a cheerful Thanksgiving feast into a frosty dessert? America is heading into the holiday season after a divisive election season. So we're featuring an episode from NPR's science podcast Short Wave about what happens in our brains during conflict: Why it tempts us to shut down, and how we can navigate difficult conversations—political or otherwise—without losing control.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I'm Aisha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday story from Up First.

0:06.2

Every Sunday, we do something special.

0:09.0

We go beyond the news of the day to bring you one big story.

0:19.9

Now, I don't need to tell you that there is a lot of disagreement in this country at the moment.

0:25.7

Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th president.

0:29.0

A lot of people are elated.

0:30.9

A lot of people are upset.

0:33.1

And soon, a lot of people who disagree will be sitting across from each other at the holiday

0:39.7

dinner table.

0:42.3

We've dealt with a fair share of disagreements in my own family.

0:47.5

I won't go into all, you know, the bloody details.

0:51.0

But generally, someone will start talking and then I will realize that they're wrong.

1:00.4

And I start delivering the facts. My brother likes to argue, so whether he really believes

1:07.5

it or not, he'll start being contrarian. And, you know, other members of the

1:11.7

family, aunts and uncles, they'll jump in and they'll have their opinions. And it'll all be going

1:17.9

well, we'll be all loud and stuff. And then, then it'll go too far. And I don't know if anybody else

1:26.1

has this. I should stop, you know, arguing the point.

1:31.0

But there's a part of me that goes, keep going, keep talking.

1:35.0

Because I'm right.

1:38.4

Sometimes when you get that last word in, that's what ends up tipping just a disagreement into an all-out emotional fight

1:48.7

and tears are flowing and things like that. And that's what you don't want. But one thing I've

1:53.8

always felt in all my kind of arguing my points and trying to get the last word is I have never really been able to convince anyone

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.