Oriana Davis
Discussion Board Two – Brave The Wilderness
COMS 560-D01
Liberty University
4/9/2020
What 3 ideas can we glean from this conversation to advance how we engage potential or
real conflict situations?
First, let me start by saying this video was right on time with everything that is going on
globally with this COVID-19 pandemic. There were so many great ideas and gems of knowledge
that Brene provided. The first idea was dehumanization. “When we use dehumanizing language,
it says much more about us than the people we are railing against and it chips away at our soul”
(Brene Brown, 2017). Realizing that how we talk can be a reflection of us and not the other
person. The second idea was accountability, when it comes to conflict, we do have to have a
level of accountability for ourselves and be willing to hold others accountable. Finally the last
idea is negativity is toxic, conflict is unavoidable but negative conflict is not necessary. (130
words)
How does each one help us to navigate conflict well?
When it comes to conflict often times we can start talking before processing what we are
saying and it can be offensive and rude. Dover (2016) talks about two different kinds of
dehumanization one of which is animalistic dehumanization which can be found in intergroup
relations, and includes things such as ethnicity, race, and gender. Understanding that
dehumanization is happening within a conflict can help aid in removing it and treating people as
equals instead of as less than. This can help this become a productive way to deal with conflict
by removing unwarranted biases. Accountability in conflict is taking responsibility in your part
of the conflicting situation. In certain situations especially work conflicts there can often be a
lack of accountability to avoid getting in trouble or seeming like you do not know what you are
doing. I have seen this happen in many manager/agent relationships. Accountability can affect
power balances. According to Hocker and Wilmot (2018) power can influence the behaviors of
another person. Taking accountability for ones actions can help create accountability and aid in
positive conflict resolutions without point blame. Negativity gets people nowhere in all aspects
of life. Pereyra, Sandberg, Bean, and Busby (2015) discusses how negative communication can
have adverse effects on relationships. Being aware of your words is important in all areas of
communication Brene talked about how she avoids engaging with people online who have
negative comments on her social media presentations. Not engaging can help with stopping the
negative talk, this ties in to holding people accountable. (256 words)
What biblical truth contributes to this conversation? Explain your choice.
Communication is all throughout the bible, learning about the goodness of God is
something that is discussed in the Bible. In Ephesians 4:29 states “Don’t use foul or abusive
language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an
encouragement to those who hear them” (NLT). Everything that I gleaned from this video for me
was in relation to having effective positive communication. This scripture is reflective of being
mindful of your words because they can be helpful to those who are hearing and receiving them.
References
Dover, M. A. (2016). The moment of microaggression: The experience of acts of oppression,
dehumanization, and exploitation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social
Environment, 26(7/8), 575–586. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1080/10911359.2016.1237920
Hocker, J. L. and Wilmot, W. W. (2018). Interpersonal conflict. (10th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.
Pereyra, S. B., Sandberg, J. G., Bean, R. A., & Busby, D. M. (2015). A comparison of the effects
of negative communication and spirituality on relationship quality among different latino and
anglo couple groups. American Journal of Family Therapy, 43(5), 480–493. https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1080/01926187.2015.1081083
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