House Calls | Dr. Francis Collins: How Can We Restore Our Faith in One Another?

Do you feel you can no longer talk with people who hold different opinions? Has anger become the predominant tone? If we want this to change, how can we as individuals, change the way we talk and connect when we differ?
Dr. Francis Collins is a pro at stepping into spaces that many of us are avoiding right now. He’s remarkably good at finding common ground with people who think differently than he does.
You may know Francis as one of our nation’s greatest scientists. The former director of the National Institutes of Health and a physician-geneticist, he led the the National Human Genome Research Institute and successfully led the effort to sequence the human genome. He is also known for his landmark discoveries of the genes responsible for critical diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s Disease.
His recent book, The Road to Wisdom, centers on principles he considers essential for navigating today’s polarized society: truth, science, faith, and trust. He finds both faith and science as essential for exploring this challenging question of how we connect with each other across divides. For Francis, love, beauty and goodness lie at the foundation of who we should be as humans. We should use our time together to experience these with others.
In this episode of House Calls, Francis shares his own stories of finding common ground and establishing genuine friendships, even in the face of fundamental disagreement. Drawing from his experience as a scientist and as a man of faith, he offers strategies for building relationships that lean on a positive view of humanity, and that free our minds from the negativity of social media, to re-create a society that feels better to all of us.
As Francis says, “We the people are the solution to what has happened to we the people.”
A talented musician, Francis ends our conversation by sharing a song he performed with famed opera singer Renée Fleming. Written during the Civil War, the song was created to bring the country together during a time a great division. It remains so relevant today.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at [e-mail] with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.
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