I was raised in a conservative Christian household. The values animating my first myth were built on traditional ideals, and they felt like solid ground.

When I got to college, that ground shook. I encountered professors who were critical of the United States and others who named conservatism, whiteness, and capitalism as evil and insidious. At the time, I couldn’t sit with those ideas. They felt like a direct attack on who I was and the world I came from.

I didn’t recognize it then, but I can see now what was happening: those perspectives registered as threatening in my nervous system. My body reacted with discomfort, even fear.

And this is what we do collectively. We divide along ideological lines and reflexively push back against the “other side.” But beneath the politics and the arguments is something deeper: a question of safety.

As I developed and learned how to regulate and attune to my inner world, it made it easier to listen to and receive ideas that were previously threatening. And over time, I softened and found that I actually agreed with a lot of what was previously threatening.

When someone’s perspective challenges your identity, your sense of familiarity, or the values you were raised with, it makes sense that it feels scary. We are wired to treat the unfamiliar as threatening. We long for safety, cohesion, and stability, so of course we recoil.

Here’s the opportunity:

If we can learn to notice why and how certain worldviews trigger threat in our system, we move the conversation out of ideology and into the realm of the nervous system.

When you recognize that you can create internal safety while engaging with ideas that scare you, you gain a rare skill.

It’s like becoming superhuman. You’re no longer controlled by reflexive fear. You can stay grounded, open, and curious in the face of difference.

That gets me fired up. And it feels like a worthy path forward for all of us.

Try this: the next time you hear a perspective that challenges you, pause and notice what sensations come up. See how those are registered as safety or lack of safety and give that some attention.

With Love,

Christian

PS: Attuned Inquiry is next Thursday 9/25 @ 6:30 PM MST. This is a sick opportunity to witness a somatic process, track your internal experience and get familiar with your internal world. I'd love to see you there!

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