Relationships of all kinds depend on the ability to work with and work through the obstacles of attachment, anger and delusion to achieve clarity and open mindedness and to avoid reactions that cut off communication and connection.
Example: The Challenge of Open-minded Communication
One example is the challenge of having a meaningful dialogue to promote understanding about controversial subjects.
Not long ago, I had an interesting, brief and unpleasant discussion with a young woman who held the position that the overall system in the U. S. had never been founded on equality. Based on the evidence of a constitution that accepted slavery and exempted women from suffrage, as well as centuries of systemic discrimination, I had to agree that there certainly was truth to her position. When I attempted a conversation to explore the possibility that the values underlying the system were supportive of repairing or replacing it with one that reflected those values, she cut off the conversation. "I don't want to debate this." she said with some anger and dismissal. Of course, it could be my misperception, but I took it as "I don't want to talk to you about this or anything else."
