Promote Resilience: We Are Built to Hold Complexity

Another challenge to DEI is the overpromise of comfort by colleges. Some institutions strive to remove every obstacle, creating what feels like a five-star concierge service. As Jonathan Haidt points out, young trees need wind and resistance. Shielding trees from every challenge results in weak trees, unable to stand on their own.

Similarly, students should not be shielded from every difficulty. A constant focus on policing bias nurtures a victimhood culture where individuals perceive themselves as constantly slighted. It's important to recognize that speech is not violence; silence is not violence; violence is violence.

The Frozen Shoulder Lesson

College should act more like a gym with a trainer. Trainers don't eliminate the need to work out — they help us safely push past our limits. I learned a similar lesson firsthand when I dealt with frozen shoulder. It's a painful condition where your shoulder basically "freezes" to protect itself from further risk. A physical therapist had to guide and encourage me, showing me how essential it is to move past and through the discomfort for healing.