Reverse Jenga: Stabilizing Conflict with Dignity

An Excerpt:

Being in conflict is like stumbling into a Jenga game where blocks are already missing and everything feels a bit shaky. What truly destabilizes the structure is yanking out the pillar or anchor blocks—the ones the whole thing rests on. These aren’t about comfort; they’re about safety. We can live without pleasantries. We can’t live without baseline dignity. As Donna Hicks argues, dignity is the glue of relationships—our need to be seen, heard, and valued. When a conflict begins because someone doesn’t feel seen, heard, or valued—or when, in trying to resolve it, we violate one another’s dignity—the whole structure is likely to come undone.