Name: Is it OK to disagree? ⏲️ 6 Minute English
Uploaded: 2026-01-10T17:09:17.000Z
Duration: 6 min 16 s
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Six Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Neil, when you're chatting with friends, do you usually have the same or different opinion on things going on in the world?

I think I probably have have quite similar opinions and that's kind of why we're friends.

Ah, well, we might like to believe that we're accepting and tolerant of others beliefs, but

for many people it can be difficult to communicate with people who have very different opinions to our own.

And this lack of acceptance could be increasing with our use of social media.

For example, algorithms tend to show us what we already like and agree with.

Of course we can't always agree with everyone else.

We all have personal opinions and beliefs on topics like religion and politics.

But some worry that it's becoming more and more common to react with violence when they disagree than to solve disagreements together peacefully.

So are we becoming a more divided society?

Divided means in disagreement with and separated from others to not be together and how can we be more accepting and open to the opinions of others?

That's what we'll be discussing in this program and as usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases.

Remember, you can find all the vocabulary from this program on our website bbclearningenglish.com but first I have a question for you, Beth.

According to a recent Ipsos poll, what percentage of the British population believes society is divided?

Well, we'll find out the answer later in the program.

Paul Dolan, professor of Behavioral Science at the London School of Economics, thinks we should learn how to control our emotions and be open to discussions when we disagree.

Here he explains more about how to do this on BBC World Service Programme all in the Mind.

Generally we're going to be making better decisions and more respectfully if we calm down.

It takes 15 minutes when you're proper aroused for the amygdala to calm down.

But within a few seconds it can start calming down.

You take a deep breath and you start feeling calmer.

It's not to say that always being calm is good.

Emotions actually can be very good for us.

Generally people make better decisions and are more engaging and more open when they're happier.

But much of the time it will be just a case of calming down to try and take some of the heat out of the environment.

Paul thinks we should take time to calm down when we feel aroused, which here means to feel anger or strong disagreement.

He said it takes 15 minutes for the amygdala, the part of the brain that experiences emotions, to calm down when we're aroused.

While anger can be motivational, make us more determined and enthusiastic, Paul says people can speak more openly when they're happier, when heat is taken out of the environment.

Heat in this context means an intense feeling, like anger.

Now, one recent dating experiment looked into what people say they want in an ideal partner.

According to their dating profile, researchers found that many single people included details on things like what they want their partner to look like, their height, clients, political party they vote for.

But many also say they want a partner who is open minded and tolerant of different views.

If you are open minded, you're willing to listen to and consider new ideas.

However, the researchers concluded that while people want a partner to be open minded and tolerant, they don't want to be very open minded themselves.

So how can we be more open to getting to know people that we might disagree with?

Here's Paul Dolan again, talking to presenter Claudia Hammond of BBC World Services.

All in the mind so I guess one very obvious answer is to get offline.

I mean, to actually just get out more and meet people, because it's what political scientists think as the silver bullet.

You know, the more you're around people that are different, the more you realize that actually they're not that different and you become more tolerant and open minded.

So being around people that are different, I think that's probably the way that we're going to tackle that problem.

Paul says political scientists think the silver bullet is to get offline and meet people.

A silver bullet means a simple solution to a complicated problem by meeting people who have different opinions and beliefs to you, the more you'll realise they're not that different to you at all and that could make you more accepting and lead to a society that is less divided.

And speaking of divided, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question, Neil?

I asked what percentage of the British population believes society is divided?

According to a recent poll by the organisation ipsos, I said 50%, was that correct?

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme.

Starting with divided, which means in disagreement, not together.

Aroused means feel a strong emotion, like anger.

If something is motivational, it makes us determined and enthusiastic.

Heat means an intense feeling like anger.

If you are open minded, you are willing to listen to and consider new ideas.

And finally, a silver bullet means a simple solution to a complicated problem.

If you've enjoyed this program, why not try practicing the new vocabulary you've learnt with our worksheet?

It's available to download now from our website, bbclearningenglish.com and you could also try out the quiz while you're there.

6 Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com.

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Is it OK to disagree? ⏲️ 6 Minute English

intense

engage

reveal

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