What happens when a college dedicated to civil dialogue goes on Tucker Carlson Tonight? In this episode, Phelosha Collaros of St. John's College, famous for its "Great Books" program, recounts the social media firestorm that erupted after her president appeared on Tucker Carlson. Outrage came from both the left and the right. The backlash forced a hard question: Is conversation complicity, or is it the bare minimum for democracy? Drawing on her family’s history of partisan violence in Colombia and her work with DepolarWise, Collaros reflects on tribalism, human dignity, and the daily discipline of depolarization. It’s a candid look at what ideological diversity really means.

Originally aired on 3/19/25. When We Disagree returns from spring break soon!

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After challenging a dominant academic framework about privilege, a graduate student received the worst grade of his life. Curious, he reran the experiment — submitting basically the same paper with the opposite conclusion — and saw it praised. That moment set Nafees Alam on a mission to champion viewpoint diversity, constructive disagreement, and open inquiry in higher education. In this episode, he explains why classrooms should be places of point-counterpoint education, not indoctrination, why real intellectual strength means being able to argue the other side without losing yourself. From culture wars to tenure reform, it’s a conversation about playing the academic game and changing it.

Episode originally aired 1/8/25. When We Disagree will return from spring break soon!

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Angel Grant, co-founder of Death Over Dinner and Drugs Over Dinner, opens up about a rare moment when she broke her own conflict guidelines. A longtime meditation teacher and trauma practitioner influenced by Gabor Maté, Angel describes what it means to be “emotionally drunk," reacting from undigested pain rather than present reality. She explores how old reservoirs of fear, anger, and humiliation hijack our relationships, and why real freedom means expanding our capacity to sit with the sensation before we lash out. In a candid story about defending a loved one during a divorce, Angel wrestles with integrity, self-righteousness, and the seductive power of being the “truth teller.” It’s a vulnerable, rich conversation about body wisdom, detachment, and how to stop repeating the same fight over and over again.

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