What Happens In Our Brain When Our Views Are Challenged?

Everyone has had a conversation with someone who shares distinctly different views and has left it feeling frustrated, as if there has been breakdown in communication and there is nothing we can do to make the other person understand our perspective. This conflict is more likely to appear when the discussions centre on topics that we really care about, and that we view as connected to our identity.


To help temper future conflict around the communication of strongly held opinions and beliefs, it is important to understand what is going on in our brain:


It is really important to keep this knowledge of how our brains work in mind when we are connecting people and trying to build a sense of community because:

Understanding a bit about our own identity and behavioural psychology can help us become better communicators, who are able to engage with potentially frustrating opinions more effectively, and who are open to learning and questioning our own beliefs. Such understanding also encourages humility – we may not be as ‘right’ as we think or feel we are.

If desired, use these questions to reflect on the content contained above:

Want to learn more about the brain and the way our mind operates? Have a look here:


Revision #4
Created 31 October 2020 07:12:44 by Alix Emery
Updated 18 November 2020 16:44:18 by raenyah