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disagreement and opposing sides

In Nonviolent Communication (NVC), there is a behavior known as "enemyfying". It refers to the tendency to see others as enemies because of disagreements, as a way to oversimplify conflicts and and the feelings of dislikes. It turns complexity of people and things into a simple state of good-and-bad, black-and-white, win-and-lose.

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By creating sides, this way of thinking divides people into those we like, trust, and agree with versus those we don’t.

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Instead of extending our empathy towards people we don't agree with, enemyfying simply pushes judgments forward as if this is the only way to see the world around us.

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Rather than creating sides, the alternative is to imagine that everyone is on our side. Even for the people with whom we disagree and dislike.

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When our hope for the future does not rely on defeating enemies, we can focus on building connections that grow and expand.

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