Key points

Psychological safety is essential for healthy, productive public discourse.

Effective debate requires slowing down, empathy, and nervous system awareness.

Adopting safe discourse can reduce violence and strengthen democratic resilience.

America has once again been shaken by tragedy: Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking on a college campus. The loss devastated his family and supporters, but also served as a stark reminder of how fragile our democracy has become—with disagreement crossing the line into violence.

The Physiology of Conflict

In the aftermath of the killing, much of the conversation has centered on political rhetoric, blame, and grief . But we risk overlooking something deeper: Violence doesn’t just come from ideology, or disagreement; rather, it is

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