On Feb. 5 at the Student Union, Dr. Irshad Manji held a keynote presentation titled “We the People: Regaining Trust Through Moral Courage,” as part of this year’s Metanoia topic, the “The Pathways to Productive Civil Discourse.”
The significance of Metanoia as shared by the University By-Laws is that “from time to time during the academic year, a day may be devoted to intensive discussion of topics of great concern to the University community. The term ‘metanoia’ is used to refer to those occasions.” According to the UConn Events Calendar page, “Metanoia is an institutional tradition in which programming is developed to promote University-wide reflection and engagement with a critical issue.”
This year’s Metanoia kicked off with a keynote presentation in which Manji took the stage, sitting on a blue chair, wearing the faux fur coat of one of her audience members.
The presentation was conversational and interactive. Manji said to her audience members regarding any questions they had, “Ask me, I’m an open book.”
The theme was moral courage. Manji defined it as “speaking truth to power ‘in here’ even as you speak your truth to power ‘out there.’” What does that mean? During a Zoom interview, Manji explained.
Manji, founder and chief executive of the Moral Courage Network, was in a make-up chair for the “Today Show,” when a voice inside of her told her, “So Irshad, is this what an educator does? They want you for your soundbite, not for what you can teach.”
Manji described how TV is for selling commercials, not to teach, adding that she told herself, “All you are is filler, does that make you proud?”
“I need to be educating, not just commenting,” she said. She added that commenting was what her ego wanted. She had been commenting for 10 years on various networks such as CNN and HBO. Yet, after experiencing a seizure, Manji adjusted her perspective.
Prior to her seizure, she shared how she became defensive every time someone disagreed with her ideals and that because of it, she “made critics more dogmatic and supporters skeptical.”
She added that there was a toxic energy she was ingesting and feeding to others. Such energy later caused her to fall into clinical depression.
She recovered when she asked herself, “Why do you get so defensive when all that’s happening is your ideals are being disagreed with?” With a new style of educating others while being an open and empathetic listener, she said, “Today I am so much healthier and happier.”
Biologically, people have an amygdala, the piece of the brain that is responsible for the “fight or flight” response. Manji describes this as the “ego brain,” stating, “In a situation of mortal danger, it is your best friend.” However, in any other situation, she calls it our “frenemy,” because “it stops you from taking reasonable risks.” Expanding on this concept, Manji shared that we must educate our emotions.
She added that we must lower our defensiveness and be open to what the other side says. The other side is anyone who has different perspectives, values or ideas than us.
“We have to stand up to our own ego,” she emphasized.
As a concluding note to the presentation, Manji shared five core stand-alone skills: “Breathe Deeply, Create Common Ground, Ask a Sincere Question, Listen to Learn and ‘Tell Me More.’”
“Each skill helps lower emotional defenses — yours and others — so that everyone can think more clearly,” she clarified, adding that even just practicing one of these skills until it becomes a habit, is powerful.
She added that it takes energy to listen carefully and learn, but in doing so, there is an incentive for the other side to be open as well.
On Feb. 6, a workshop featuring a film screening of Manji’s Oscar-shortlisted documentary, “Mississippi Turning,” a roundtable lunch discussion, while the “Change the Game” Interactive Session was postponed due to adverse weather.
Manji will return to campus to host the workshops at a later date.