Engaging Across Differences
350 wordsAt Johns Hopkins, community is built through dialogue, collaboration, and a willingness to engage across differences. Whether on campus or in the broader world, community depends on bridge builders who can listen to differing perspectives, challenge their own assumptions, or work together toward shared goals. Drawing on your own experiences, what have you learned about engaging across differences and how has it shaped the way you think about building bridges, enhancing community, and working with others?
Paragraph 1: The Inciting Friction
- Start immediately in the middle of a sensory scene of minor friction or disagreement with another person, entirely bypassing any broad introductions or dictionary definitions of community.
- It is best to choose a micro-level, non-political difference (such as age, language barriers, or physical working styles) to ground the story.
- Avoid beginning with a thesis statement.
Paragraph 2: The Logical Counterpoint
- Establish the opposing perspective with genuine logical weight and respect.
- It is best to clearly describe what the other person wanted and the reasoning behind their stance.
- Do not set up a weak strawman or portray your opponent as obviously incorrect or biased, as this is a major warning sign indicating a lack of intellectual humility.