Who is the most difficult person we’ll ever have to negotiate with? Why is it so hard to change people’s minds, and what’s the most graceful way to do it? Is there a root cause to all conflict? Could a simple path hold the key to turning any conflict into peace—at home, at work, and even between nations? And what, ultimately, is the secret to world peace? Find out from William Ury, exclusively in conversation with Dr. Hitendra Wadhwa on Intersections Podcast.

Key insights

• The most difficult person we’ll ever have to negotiate with
• Why changing people’s minds rarely works—and what does instead
• The same hidden laws behind family feuds and global conflict
• A three-step pathway for global peace, and how anyone can walk it

Time signatures

0:00 Trailer
3:31 Introduction
6:19 Only one thing holding humanity back from its true potential
11:49 The most difficult person we’ll ever have to negotiate with
18:50 How to stay anchored in our soul
21:02 Can inner work lead to systemic change?
32:46 Two models for breakthroughs in conflict
35:17 The right way to hold others accountable
37:46 The right time to give advice to others
41:43 The root cause of all conflict
47:31 The only capacity we need to build in ourselves
53:10 The art of building the other side a golden bridge
1:00:37 Why we rush to judgment and cancel others
1:03:37 One place where all possibilites exist
1:11:21 How to turn our enemies into friends
1:16:20 The secret to world peace
1:29:21 Two icons of possibilism
1:34:43 A practical solution for world peace
1:38:28 Closing thoughts

Show notes

• 39th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Jimmy Carter
• Venezuelan political leader referenced in Ury’s negotiation story, Hugo Chávez
• Ancient Indian philosopher-king often cited in spiritual teachings, King Janaka
• Classical fable illustrating persuasion through warmth rather than force, The North Wind and the Sun