Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
Introduction:
Morton Deutsch explains how "autistic hostility" contributes to intractability.
This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).
Autistic Hostility
Morton Deutsch
E.L. Thorndike Professor and Director Emeritus of the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Teachers College, Columbia University
There are a number of such traps that I
talk about, and some might be worth learning. One is autistic hostility. You
think you've been hurt by the other, you're angry, you break off communication
with the other, you don't talk about it with the other, you ignore the other. I
have autistic hostility towards coffee. I don't know why, but as long as I can
remember I have had an aversive reaction to thinking about it. I, as a result,
never drink coffee. I avoid any taste of coffee, like coffee ice cream. I may be
mistaken about coffee. Maybe I would like it. Maybe if I experienced it, if I
had contact with coffee. If I had communicated, so to speak. If I allowed to
coffee to communicate with me, it would change my attitude. That's one thing
that happens sometimes in conflict. You maintain your hostility autistically,
within yourself, without any necessary reactor.
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. -- Nelson Mandela
Featured Links Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict Net Hope
The Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base Project Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess, Co-Directors and Editors c/o Conflict Information Consortium(Formerly Conflict Research Consortium), University of Colorado Campus Box 580, Boulder, CO 80309 Phone: (303) 492-1635; Fax: (303) 492-2154; Contact
