How 'safe spaces' can encourage toxic fragility and lower resilience
Posted on April 24, 2020 by Kim Tsai, One of Thousands of Spirituality Coaches on Noomii.
The 'safe space' has become a straightjacket of stagnation in a society which is becoming more and more fragile. Toxic fragility destroys resilience.
We often hear talk of the ‘safe space’ and of the need to make sure people ‘feel safe’. Whilst i agree that we need supportive environments in which to flourish, i also know how important it is to move out of our comfort zone if we are to learn. The concept of the ‘safe space’ no longer means physical safety, which is paramount; but now extends to emotional and intellectual safety. It has come to mean that we must not do or say anything which might cause the other person to feel uncomfortable. We are no longer allowed to disagree or to criticise, in case we ‘hurt somebody’s feelings’. The ‘safe space’ has become a straightjacket of ignorance and stagnation in a society which is becoming more and more fragile.
As complexity increases, the number of people willing and able to do the work required, both internal and external, in order to deal with complexity, decreases. The capacity to hold ambiguity and absurdity, which are normal aspects of everyday life, lessens. The default solution is to turn to simplicity and black and white thinking. This reduces the overwhelm that complexity can create and makes life manageable. There is less uncertainty and even less need to think or reflect. Combine this with excessive fragility, and fostering resilience has no chance. I call this #toxicfragility.
Have you noticed how everybody must have an opinion on everything these days? This is part of the societal need to simplify in the face of complexity. As issues become complex and as choices expand, human beings feel that their control is being undermined. In order to regain certainty, humans take complex issues and simplify them, so that they can view them with black and white vision. The voice of academia and other specialists is often disregarded as each person feels capable enough to comment and opine on anything and everything. We forget that there really are people whose opinions count more than our own on certain subjects. We demand to be heard when we voice our, sometimes worthless, opinions, and we become upset and triggered when others disagree with us, or voice criticism. We demand they be silenced. This is #toxic fragility.
The solution is learning to live with ambiguity and paradox, in order to face uncertainty with wisdom and courage. It demands critical self-reflection, a willingness to make mistakes and the capacity to listen to the other. If we do not learn to embrace both sides by walking the path of courage, we will never develop beyond our old ways of thinking and doing.
If we want to build our resilience and grow, I suggest we start to actively move out of our comfort zones and expand our critical thinking, making space for other opinions. It is time to recognise where safe spaces actually encourage toxic fragility and lower resilience.
