DISAGREE FREELY. ENGAGE with LEADD RESPECTFULLY.

When I enter someone’s personal social media page, I see it much like entering their home within a shared community.

You may be welcomed into someone’s home and still disagree with the host. You may challenge an idea, question an opinion, offer another perspective, or engage in a difficult conversation. But being welcomed into someone’s space does not give any of us permission to disrespect the host or other guests.

The same principle should apply online.

In a world of misinformation, false accusations, and propaganda on overdrive, our social media communities have become increasingly important spaces for exchanging information, challenging assumptions, discovering different perspectives, and learning from one another.

We may not be sitting face to face, but basic etiquette, respect, and responsible conduct should not disappear simply because we are communicating through a screen.

The way we communicate reflects our character, our state of mind, and the impact we choose to have on others.

So when you enter my page, you are welcome to voice your opinion, share your perspective, express your emotions, challenge my views, ask difficult questions, present facts, and disagree with me.

In fact, I welcome controversial and uncomfortable conversations. That is often when I learn the most.

DISAGREEMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY

Disagreement is not disrespect. It is an opportunity to learn and grow.

I may be wrong.

You may be wrong.

We may both be working with incomplete information.

That is precisely why questions, facts, curiosity, discernment, and intellectual humility matter.

Let’s replace the trap of intellectual superiority with intellectual humility.

Intellectual humility does not mean abandoning our convictions. It means having enough confidence to express what we believe and enough humility to ask what we might not know.

We can challenge one another without demeaning one another. We can defend our positions while remaining willing to listen. And when better information or facts emerge, we should have the courage to reconsider our conclusions.

That is part of learning.

That is part of growing.

THERE IS A BOUNDARY

Welcoming disagreement does not mean accepting disrespectful conduct.

Profanity, personal attacks, insults, threats, and intentionally disrespectful or degrading behavior are not welcome on my page.

I reserve the right to remove such comments and block individuals who repeatedly disregard these standards.  This is not about preventing disagreement. It is about maintaining a basic standard of conduct.

On my page, engage with LEADD™:

• Listen attentively.
• Embrace common grounds.
• Ask questions on:
• Discern carefully.
• Deliver Respectfully.

You do not have to agree with me to engage with me.

WHO AM I?

I am a mom. A wife. A friend. An advocate. An activist. A coach. An author. An entrepreneur.

I am a Mountain Jew. I am Israeli. I am a strong Zionist. I am American.

And above all, I am a human being, just like you.

Each of these identities carries responsibility.

Authenticity does not mean believing we are always right. It means having the courage to express who we are and what we believe while accepting responsibility for our words, our conduct, and our impact on others.

It also means recognizing our own blind spots, boundaries, and biases.

I will share my experiences, the facts as I understand them, my beliefs, and my perspective. You are welcome to share yours.

I do not expect you to abandon your identity when you enter my page, and I will not abandon mine simply to make a conversation more comfortable.

AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE DOES NOT REQUIRE AGREEMENT

Authentic dialogue does not require us to become alike.

It does not require us to agree.

It requires enough curiosity, restraint, integrity, and mutual respect to remain in conversation despite our differences and perhaps leave knowing or understanding something we did not before.

Imagine if, instead of immediately responding to disagreement with an accusation or insult, we first asked:

• Why do you believe that?
• What facts led you to that conclusion?
• What might I be missing?

And perhaps the most difficult question:

Could I be wrong?

That is where disagreement can become learning.

And learning has impact.

It can expose our blind spots, sharpen our thinking, strengthen or change our conclusions, deepen our understanding of others, and ultimately influence what we say, what we do, and how we treat one another.

BRING YOUR BEST CHARACTER

So, welcome to my page.

Bring your opinions.
Bring your questions.
Bring your disagreement.
Bring your facts.
Bring your experiences.
Bring your convictions.

Most importantly, bring your best character, a willingness to learn and understand others and share your knowledge base.  Because freedom to speak comes with an equally important responsibility:

How we choose to speak UP!

Perhaps one of the greatest tests of character in our digital age is not how we communicate with people who agree with us, but how we communicate with those who disagree with us.

Let’s Speak Up™
Be Your Own Advocate. Speak Assertively. Act Responsibly.