Danger: Politics Ahead

For many of us, the “good old days” are filled with memories of family get-togethers and laughter. But sometimes “good old days” can also be stressful days. Many dread the subject of politics, where one person’s opinion can cause another either to argue or simply leave the room. What’s being discussed (content) is clouded by the emotion the content triggers (emotional process).

Resilient Leadership makes a distinction between content and emotional process. Content is what is being discussed- the words that are spoken. Yet what drives the words, especially in tense situations, is emotional process. Internally, when anxiety rises, feelings override sound thinking. One’s internal anxiety is demonstrated by the spoken word, triggering another to argue or simply leave the table. This is an external display of emotional process. The “infection” spreads.