Stop Avoiding Conflict. Start Growing From It.

Harvard experts reveal how courageous conversations can lead to stronger relationships and smarter decisions.

Do you enjoy conflict? Yeah, didn’t think so. Most of us would rather chew glass than dive into a marital spat, a workplace showdown, or a heated political debate. So we avoid it—change the subject, bite our tongues, walk away But dodging disagreement doesn’t make tension go away—it makes it grow. In a new book, a negotiation expert and a neurologist—both with Harvard pedigrees—team up to explore what conflict does to your brain and how you can rewire your responses for better outcomes. Below, they offer simple tools you can use to turn quarrels into connections, whether you’re clashing with your boss or tiptoeing around family drama: