Tempers can rise in this day of extremist views and divisions. When asked, “Whose side are you on?” You might think staying neutral is a safe strategy, but is it? Psychology and business school researchers collected data from over 4,000 adult participants to investigate the consequences of not picking a side in a heated debate through 11 experiments that used controlled scenarios, real press video clips, and incentivized economic games. Results? When you decide not to take sides, especially in front of an audience with strong opinions, people tend to interpret your neutrality as a form of subtle opposition. For example, if you remain neutral on a topic like gun control, others may assume you secretly hold conservative, pro-gun views. Giving reasons for neutrality does help reduce the trust issues that arise. However, effectively conveying your reasoning can be challenging, especially in a charged conversation. It takes courage to state what your true opinion is, but being open, stating your reasons with kindness and giving background, will more likely elicit greater trust. Then you will be more able to seek and work towards solutions to complex problems together with others. Reference: Silver, I., & Shaw, A. (2022). When and why “staying out of it” backfires in moral and political disagreements. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151(10), 2542–2561. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001201.

Written by Jarret Bain B.S.