Recent BI and Substack Posts

How might the super-rich be persuaded to do the right thing? How might the cosmopolitan elite better earn the public's support and trust?

Find out about building a "conflict mirror" (so you can understand why you make others so mad) other constructive conflict strategies.

Find out how you can combat the destructive conflict dynamics that are making the left/right divide so intractable.

The first key to saving democracy is to understand how that differs from simply trying to advance partisan objectives.

A complexity-based approach to strengthening democracy and avoiding authoritarian populism

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

Democracy depends on separating the authoritarian/plutocratic threat from left/right cultural and distributional conflicts.

The widely misunderstood complexity of "who gets what" distributional conflicts explains much of our inequality problem.

The evolutionary, neurobiological foundation of the cultural divide requires approaching it with mutual tolerance and respect.

Like the proverbial frog in hot water, democracies have been sliding toward authoritarianism with too few people recognizing the danger.

Meeting the challenge of authoritarian populism will require a sophisticated understanding of "who is fighting who over what."

Find out what you can do to strengthen democracy while reducing the risk of authoritarianism.

How can populist revolts address the real failures of establishment elites without falling victim to authoritarian temptations?

Widespread, and overly simplistic, "us vs. them" ways of thinking about conflict underlies much of its destructiveness.

While there is no simple way to "resolve" intractable conflicts, a complexity-oriented approach can make them less destructive.

We need a new strategy tailored to intractable conflict's gigantic, tangled web of causes and consequences.

Nests, cycles, attractors, and paradigms -- new ways of thinking about conflict and its resolution.

More of the same isn't enough--we need new approaches to successfully address intractable conflicts.

Destructive dynamics associated with intractable conflict are as big a threat as climate change. Find out why!

The ten challenges of MPP are daunting, but there is a role here for everyone.

An overview of the many kinds of disputes over facts that arise in conflicts--and what to do about them. Although getting worse, this problem isn't new!

Cognitive dissonance can escalate or de-escalate conflict depending on how it is used. 

North Korea's siege mentality is particularly dangerous as the US is exhibiting a siege mentality too!

Exchange and respect are more powerful than force--they persuade without causing backlash.

The demand for total victory is a recipe for continuing and deepening strife--co-existence is essential for peace.