Relational ideology sees human identity consisting at one and the same time of a sense of personal autonomy and agency, and of a deep sense of connection with others. This is central to the transformative model of mediation in that conflict is viewed as a crisis in human interaction characterized by a weakening of the sense of agency and a withdrawal into self-absorption. What people want in conflict is to recover their personal autonomy and at the same time to re-connect with others. According to transformative theory, people not only have the capacity but also the deep desire for movement from states of weakness and self-absorption to states of clarity and recognition. And they can be supported in doing that in a face-to-face conversation by a transformative practitioner.
Matt Harding’s videos of himself dancing in locales around the world have drawn more than 20 million viewings on YouTube. He is working on a book about his travels titled “Where the Hell Is Matt.” Harding lives in Seattle with his girlfriend and dog. In this essay, he talks about differences and connection.
Here’s the video:
