Exclusion and ridicule are especially painful experiences of indignity. Violations of dignity, whether obvious and intended, or subtle and unintentional, are emotional injuries that evoke feelings of shame and anger, defensiveness and withdrawal, and, often, a need to retaliate in some form. Hicks notes that the pain caused by injuries to our dignity is equivalent to physical pain and processed in the same areas of the brain.
Before the training, my instinct was to say, Oh, you disagree with me? I'm going to prove you wrong with hardcore facts that you can't dispute,' but I learned to step back from that emotion, Jeremiah says. Being right might give you a little self-gratification, but it doesn't necessarily solve the issue if you're just making the other person feel defensive. Jeremiah's reflection captures the promise of promoting constructive dialogue at a university as vast and diverse as CUNY.
