Civic Awareness Series speaker will explain how to open our minds to opposing views

On Thursday, Oct. 13, Cantigny Park and the League of Women Voters invite the public to their next Civic Awareness Series on "Improving Civil Discourse: The Science of Us vs. Them." Terry Wu, Ph.D., will present the program at 7 p.m.

The program is in-person and online. Registration is not required for those attending in person at the Cantigny Park Visitors Center, and parking is free. Online participants should register at Cantigny.org to receive a Zoom link.

Now more than ever, our democracy demands that each of us be willing to listen to others with whom we may not agree. Dr. Wu, a captivating speaker and storyteller, applies a neuroscience-based approach to helping us understand the "us vs. them" dynamic.

The division, he says, happens automatically without our conscious awareness, creating aggression and hostility.

Dr. Wu will share actionable ideas for bridging the "us vs. them" divide - first steps toward improving civil discourse in our communities and reducing anxiety around traditionally divisive issues.

Dr. Terry Wu is an expert on the neuroscience of human decisions and received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Since the advent of COVID-19, he has studied how to apply neuroscience to strengthen leadership. His research focus on why people follow gets to the heart of the "us vs. them" animosity that is so prevalent across America.

A frequent speaker at conferences and corporate events, Dr. Wu has a gift for turning complex scientific studies into interesting, easy-to-understand stories that his audiences can relate to and act upon.