Recent BI and Substack Posts

When I prepared this 2017 talk on the evolutionary choice between democracy and authoritarianism I was afraid I was overreacting. Not anymore. #mbi_frontiers

Today's culture wars are largely attributable to the fact that the different generations adapted their beliefs to very different social conditions. #mbi_fundamentals

Excellent, time-tested advice that's worth remembering as we struggle with the bunch of very difficult problems. #mbi_to_do

Today's most serious conflicts are, in large part, being engineered by those who seek power over the rest of the society. #mbi_frontiers

Something to think about on a day when the US seems more irreconcilable than ever -- what would reconciliation look like? #mbi_videos

Turn about is fair play: what if outside "experts" came to the U.S. to help us solve OUR conflicts? #mbi_activities

Most of us are so enmeshed in our own worldviews that we don't consider that we might be wrong. It helps to listen to outsiders and consider that possibility. #mbi_to_do

The destructive way in which we handle conflict is the biggest threat to our common future. Join our effort to help address the problem. #mbi_cci

For students (and everyone else) a strategy for unpacking our conflicts that illuminates common ground and constructively addresses differences. #mbi_activities

Enemy images deepen our socio-economics and political problems, while they make effective problem solving impossible. #mbi_fundamentals

Key to solving a great many problems is giving people a face-saving way to change their behavior and admit that they've learned things. #mbi_to_do

What would happen if we focused on meeting the fundamental human needs of our adversary and then asked them to do the same? #mbi_to_do

An exercise for students (and everyone else). Instead of a single cause, think in terms of a chain of causes that explain why things happen. #mbi_activities

A story about an important new effort to get closer to the truth by encouraging people to admit and then work to correct their own misconceptions. #mbi_context

Before civility can provide an alternative to today's hyper-partisan dysfunction we need a clear image of what it is and isn't. #mbi_frontiers

Amid the ongoing proliferation of "rights," an argument for focusing on building support for a few fundamental rights. #mbi_context

We used to talk about coexistence between the US and the USSR. Now, is it time to talk about coexistence between the left and the right? #mbi_fundamentals

An argument that medicine not engineering offers a better model for dealing with the complexities of large-scale intractable conflict. conflict. #mbi_frontiers

For students, an article explaining why the promotion more constructive approaches to conflict is central to solving all of society's big problems. #mbi_cci

Beyond Intractability is launching a Go Fund Me campaign to raise a little money to cover core program expenses. Please contribute what you can. #mbi_challenge

What is power? The ability to get things done? The ability to push other people around? Which is right? (Actually, they both are.) #mbi_frontiers

Amid today's efforts to actually do something about oppression, it's worth stepping back and thinking about what the term actually means. #mbi_fundamentals

One of our Colleague Activities posts highlights Network Weaver's tools for strengthening large-scale complex systems. #mbi_colleague

Our biggest reason for optimism is the existence of a large number of sophisticated, ongoing efforts to address the intractable conflict problem. #mbi_colleague
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Successfully working with complex system requires us to challenge many of our assumptions and understand the limits of rational planning. #mbi_fundamentals