Danielle Muscato on Atheists Discussing Religion, Blasphemy, and Triggering
Channel: secularus.org
Date: 2017-07-31

Triggering, Blasphemy, and Effective Discussion: How to Talk Religion (Without Pissing People Off). Effective communication is frequently challenging enough without compounding the challenges due to the sensitivity of topics. This presentation covers many of the behavioral and neurological conditions that keep many of us from maintaining meaningful conversation over divisive issues. Amygdala hijacking occurs when someone is exposed to a thought, stimuli, or notion that effectively "shocks" them - placing them in a fight or flight state that biologically necessitates bypassing the parts of the brain that regulate logical analysis. Understanding these conditions can help us steer clear of inadvertently triggering our conversationalists into such a state, and better serve to pave the way for meaningful communication and cooperation.