4 Key Lessons From Emile Bruneau’s Groundbreaking Work on Empathy and Conflict Resolution
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Conflict is as old as humanity itself, manifesting in every corner of the world — from the battlegrounds of international wars to heated arguments in our own living rooms. At its core, conflict stems from the same human vulnerabilities: fear, misunderstanding, and the inability to empathize with the “other.” But what if we could better understand the psychology behind these confrontations? What if the key to resolving conflicts on any scale lies not in military strategies or political negotiations, but in the way our brains perceive and respond to others?
“True peace begins when we take the time to understand the OTHER SIDE.”
Emile Bruneau, a cognitive neuroscientist, believed precisely that. His pioneering work focused on how the human mind fosters conflict and, more importantly, how it can be rewired to cultivate peace. Bruneau’s research reveals that the path to resolution — whether in war zones like Ukraine and Gaza or in everyday disputes — begins with empathy, perception, and dismantling cognitive biases.
In this article, I pay tribute to Bruneau’s insights into the psychological roots of conflict and how his work can be applied to build understanding and reconciliation, whether at a personal, societal, or global level. As we unravel the science behind human conflict, we unlock the potential to create lasting peace in even the most challenging circumstances. Let’s dive into Emile Bruneau’s groundbreaking work, beginning with an experience that highlights the psychological complexities of conflict.
The Brawl in Belfast: A Microcosm of Conflict
In the summer of 1997, Emile Bruneau found himself in a dusty square in Belfast, witnessing a scene that would shape his life’s work. A minor argument between two young boys — one Catholic, one Protestant — had erupted into something far more dangerous. What should have been a brief scuffle over a trivial matter quickly escalated into a full-blown brawl. As a crowd gathered, their loyalties split along religious lines, and the tension thickened.
In that moment, Bruneau realized that this was not just a fight between two children; it was a manifestation of something much deeper — decades of distrust, fear, and ingrained group identities. The violence felt automatic, driven by forces that seemed both primal and psychological. This incident crystallized a question that would guide Bruneau’s research for years: What psychological forces turn minor disagreements into full-scale conflict? Why do seemingly rational people so easily slip into hostility when their group identities are threatened?
The brawl in Belfast was a microcosm of how conflict unfolds on any scale. It wasn’t just about physical violence; it was about how we perceive each other, about the cognitive biases that turn neighbors into enemies. The same dynamics play out on battlefields worldwide, in political arenas, and even within families and friendships. For Bruneau, understanding these dynamics was key to finding ways to prevent conflicts from spiraling out of control.
This experience propelled Bruneau to explore the psychological mechanics of conflict, particularly how biases, empathy gaps, and dehumanization shape our perceptions of people from other groups. A singular goal drove his journey from that square in Belfast to the forefront of neuroscience: understanding how the mind fuels conflict and how it can be trained to foster peace.
Understanding Cognitive Bias: The Psychological Roots of Conflict
The brawl in Belfast revealed something deeply embedded in human nature: the instinct to view those outside our group with suspicion and hostility. Emile Bruneau recognized that this wasn’t just a product of cultural or historical tensions; it was rooted in the brain itself. The way we categorize people into “us” versus “them” is an ancient survival mechanism that, in the modern world, fuels division and conflict.
Cognitive biases, ingrained in our brains over millennia, are at the heart of many conflicts. One of the most powerful biases Bruneau studied was in-group favoritism — the tendency to show preference and empathy toward those we identify as part of our “group,” whether based on race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs. This bias creates an empathy gap, where we view those in out-groups with indifference or even hostility, making it easier to justify harm.
Bruneau’s research also highlighted the stark effects of dehumanization, another key cognitive bias. When we perceive individuals or groups as less than human, it becomes psychologically easier to rationalize violence and cruelty. Bruneau’s work, using neuroimaging, demonstrated how the brain reacts differently to members of out-groups, often showing reduced activity in areas associated with empathy and emotional connection.
“The biggest challenge in conflict is not to understand the ‘other side’— it’s to see them as fully human.”
Emile Bruneau
This dehumanization is not limited to times of war; it plays a role in everyday social divisions, from political polarization to racial discrimination. It explains why a protestor might be hailed as a hero in one context but labeled a threat in another. It also sheds light on how media portrayals of refugees or migrants can shape public opinion, with dehumanizing narratives fostering fear and opposition instead of empathy.
Bruneau’s studies also underscored the power of confirmation bias — the tendency to seek out information that reinforces our existing beliefs. In conflict situations, people are more likely to accept information that supports their view of the opposing group as dangerous or inferior, while ignoring evidence that might humanize the other side.
By understanding these psychological roots of conflict, Bruneau aimed to develop strategies to bridge the divides that so often lead to violence. His work continues to inspire efforts to build a more empathetic and peaceful world.
The Cognitive Mechanics of Conflict: Empathy, Dehumanization, and Bias
Emile Bruneau’s groundbreaking research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Peace and Conflict Neuroscience Lab delved deeply into the psychological processes that fuel intergroup conflicts. His work focused on how empathy — the ability to understand and share the feelings of others — plays a critical role in resolving conflicts. However, Bruneau uncovered a troubling truth: empathy is often biased.
Through his exploration of the cognitive and emotional processes that drive conflict, Bruneau demonstrated that conflicts are frequently ignited by a failure to understand the perspective of the “other.” When people perceive those from different racial, religious, or political groups as fundamentally different, empathy diminishes, biases intensify, and dehumanization escalates, paving the way for violence.
“Honor is a gift that is granted to you when you mature.”
Emile Bruneau
In group-based conflicts, people tend to feel more empathy for members of their own group and less for those they see as outsiders. Worse still, when opposing groups are dehumanized — viewed as less than human — empathy is severely diminished, making it easier to justify aggression and violence. Bruneau’s research, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, revealed how dehumanization strips individuals of moral considerations, allowing for acts of violence to be rationalized with alarming ease.
However, Bruneau’s research didn’t stop at identifying the cognitive biases fueling conflict. He was deeply committed to finding ways to counteract these biases, particularly through cultivating empathy. Let’s explore these core concepts and how they can be applied to resolve conflicts of any scale.
Applying Emile Bruneau’s Insights to Conflict Resolution
1. Empathy as a Tool for Conflict Resolution
For Bruneau, empathy was not merely a feel-good concept but a powerful psychological tool capable of bridging divides between opposing groups. He defined empathy as the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings, yet in conflicts, empathy is often selective. People tend to extend empathy more easily to those within their own group while withholding it from out-group members. This “empathy gap” deepens divisions and complicates conflict resolution. Bruneau’s work focused on narrowing this gap, showing that empathy can be cultivated even in the most divided societies.
His studies revealed that empathy-building exercises — such as shared storytelling, perspective-taking, and direct contact between opposing groups — could significantly reduce prejudice. By encouraging individuals to step into the shoes of the “other,” these interventions help dismantle the psychological barriers that perpetuate conflict. In one experiment, Bruneau found that participants who read personal stories from opposing groups exhibited increased empathy and decreased dehumanization.
Bruneau’s work also addressed the challenge of empathy fatigue — the idea that too much empathy, especially in the face of ongoing conflicts and crises, can lead to emotional burnout. His research suggested that while empathy for individuals can be taxing, fostering empathy for groups through systematic and scalable interventions might offer a more sustainable path to long-term conflict resolution.
Application:
Personal Conflicts: In everyday situations, such as disputes with family members or colleagues, practicing empathy by actively listening to the other person’s perspective can transform the dynamic of the conversation. Engaging in shared storytelling or simply spending time understanding the other person’s experiences can close the empathy gap, making it easier to resolve the underlying issues.
Larger-Scale Conflicts: In community or organizational settings, empathy-building initiatives, such as workshops that encourage participants to share their personal narratives, can help bridge divides between different groups. These exercises can foster mutual understanding and reduce tensions, whether in a workplace dealing with internal conflicts or in community groups seeking to address racial or cultural divides.
2. Counteracting Cognitive Biases
Bruneau’s work also revealed that cognitive biases like in-group favoritism, which leads individuals to favor members of their own group, and out-group hostility, which fosters negative attitudes toward those outside their group, can be counteracted through deliberate interventions that promote positive interactions between opposing groups. Individuals can challenge and reduce these inherent biases by creating environments that encourage cooperation and mutual understanding.
Application:
Personal Contexts: Engaging in activities that bring you into contact with people from different backgrounds can help reduce biases. For example, volunteering in community service projects alongside individuals from diverse communities can foster new perspectives and build positive relationships.
Larger-Scale Conflicts: In broader societal contexts, organizing community events that encourage interaction between different social, cultural, or political groups can promote understanding and reduce prejudice. Initiatives such as cross-cultural festivals, collaborative community projects, or dialogue circles can create spaces where biases are challenged and empathy is fostered.
3. Seeing from the Perspectives of Others
One of Bruneau’s most significant findings was the power of perspective-taking to reduce conflict. Perspective-taking involves trying to see the world from another person’s point of view. This doesn’t mean agreeing with them but rather understanding their thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
In his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey emphasizes this concept through the habit of “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” Covey explains that effective communication and conflict resolution begins with a genuine effort to understand the other person’s perspective. This approach fosters empathy and reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings that often escalate into conflicts.
Application:
Personal Conflicts: When disagreements arise, making a conscious effort to understand the other person’s perspective can help prevent escalation. This might involve asking questions to clarify their viewpoint or simply listening without interrupting, allowing you to address the root causes of the conflict rather than just the symptoms.
Larger-Scale Conflicts: In community or international contexts, perspective-taking can be a powerful tool in diplomatic negotiations or peacebuilding efforts. By understanding the historical, cultural, and political contexts of another group or nation’s actions, stakeholders can reduce the risk of misinterpretation and work toward solutions that acknowledge and respect each side’s concerns.
4. Combatting Dehumanization
Emile Bruneau played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of dehumanization, particularly its blatant forms. While much of modern research had shifted towards examining subtle and implicit forms of dehumanization in everyday settings, Bruneau, alongside his colleague Nour Kteily, argued for the need to refocus attention on the more overt and explicit expressions of dehumanization. Their work highlighted the disturbing prevalence and potency of blatant dehumanization in contemporary society, urging researchers and policymakers alike to confront this issue head-on.
Bruneau’s research was particularly groundbreaking because it sought to systematically assess the roots and consequences of blatant dehumanization across different cultural contexts. One of his key contributions was the development of a measure that taps into blatant dehumanization. This measure used the “Ascent of Humans” diagram, a popular representation of evolutionary progress, to ask participants where they believed various groups belonged on the scale — from ape-like ancestors to fully evolved modern humans. The results were stark and revealing: significant portions of the population rated marginalized groups, such as Muslims, Mexicans, and Palestinians, much lower on the scale, indicating a widespread denial of these groups’ full humanity.
In response to these findings, Bruneau’s research also focused on developing strategies to counteract dehumanization. He emphasized the importance of humanizing the “other side” by recognizing their individuality and shared humanity. Bruneau advocated for interventions that could break down the psychological barriers leading to dehumanization. These included promoting personal stories, highlighting common values, and fostering mutual interests to bridge divides.
Application:
Personal Contexts: In personal conflicts, Bruneau’s work suggests that sharing personal experiences and finding common ground can be powerful tools in humanizing the other party. For example, engaging in meaningful conversations about shared challenges or values can help shift perceptions and reduce animosity.
Larger-Scale Conflicts: In broader societal contexts, Bruneau’s insights can be applied by encouraging media and educational initiatives that portray marginalized groups with nuance and empathy. Balanced reporting that highlights the complexities and humanity of each side in a conflict can play a critical role in combating dehumanization and fostering a more inclusive and peaceful society.
Bruneau’s work offers a powerful framework for understanding and addressing the psychological roots of conflict. By applying these insights, we can foster empathy, counteract biases, and work toward a more peaceful and connected world.
Applying Empathy-Based Interventions in Real-World Conflicts
Emile Bruneau’s commitment to translating his research into real-world impact was as strong as his dedication to understanding the psychological roots of conflict. He believed that the true measure of his work lay in its ability to make a difference in the most challenging environments — places where decades of violence, fear, and dehumanization had created deep, seemingly unbridgeable divides. By partnering with NGOs, policymakers, and conflict resolution experts, Bruneau brought his empathy-based interventions to life, offering tangible pathways to peace.
Humanizing the “Other” in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
One of the most challenging contexts in which Bruneau applied his strategies was the enduring conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Generations of violence and mistrust had left both sides deeply entrenched in narratives of “us versus them,” often dehumanizing the other in the process. Bruneau believed that breaking this cycle required a fundamental shift in how each side viewed the other.
Working closely with local peacebuilding organizations, Bruneau helped design programs that brought Israelis and Palestinians together for structured dialogues. These encounters focused on sharing personal stories — narratives of loss, fear, and hope — that humanized participants on both sides. Bruneau’s research showed that when individuals are exposed to the personal experiences of those they might otherwise see as enemies, empathy begins to replace hostility, and biases start to fade.
The impact of these interventions was profound. Participants who had previously viewed the other side as fundamentally different and less deserving of empathy began to see them as fellow human beings with shared emotions and experiences. This shift in perception reduced support for violent retaliation, marking a critical step toward a more peaceful coexistence.
Rebuilding Empathy During the Refugee Crisis
Bruneau also extended his work to address the refugee crisis, where millions of displaced individuals face overwhelming hostility and dehumanization in their host countries. He recognized that empathy for refugees often diminishes as they are increasingly portrayed in negative or threatening terms by media and political rhetoric. To combat this, Bruneau advocated for direct, meaningful interactions between refugees and host communities — interactions that could dismantle prejudices and foster understanding.
“Dehumanization is incredibly relevant to particularly hostile policies towards marginalized groups.”
Emile Bruneau
In Europe, where waves of refugees from war-torn regions like Syria and Afghanistan have sought refuge, Bruneau collaborated with organizations to bridge the empathy gap. Programs were developed to facilitate everyday interactions between refugees and local citizens — shared meals, community projects, and storytelling events. As informed by Bruneau’s research, these interventions led to significant increases in empathy among host communities and a decrease in xenophobic attitudes.
Bruneau’s approach was not about fostering momentary sympathy but about building lasting connections that could lead to more compassionate and inclusive communities. He showed that when people engage with refugees personally and meaningfully, it’s possible to counteract the dehumanizing narratives that often dominate public discourse.
Reducing Political Polarization: The Role of Dialogue
In addition to international conflicts, Bruneau’s empathy-based strategies proved effective in addressing political polarization within countries, particularly in the United States. In an era marked by deep political divides, Bruneau recognized that the same in-group/out-group dynamics driving global conflicts were at play within national borders. The challenge was to see if his empathy-driven methods could reduce tensions and foster understanding between people with opposing political views.
Bruneau worked with organizations facilitating cross-partisan dialogues to test this, creating environments where individuals with different political beliefs could engage in structured conversations. These dialogues were designed not to change minds but to foster mutual understanding by encouraging participants to share personal stories about their political journeys rather than debating policies.
The results were promising. Participants from both sides of the political spectrum reported increased empathy towards those with differing views. They often discovered that their opponents’ beliefs were rooted in personal experiences rather than malice, leading to a decrease in the demonization of the “other side.” Bruneau’s work demonstrated that even in highly polarized environments, empathy could be a powerful tool for bridging divides and reducing the toxic polarization that threatens democratic processes.
The Enduring Legacy of Emile Bruneau: A Blueprint for Peace
Emile Bruneau’s work has reshaped the landscape of conflict resolution, leaving a legacy far beyond academic theory. His groundbreaking research into the psychology of empathy and dehumanization has provided a transparent, actionable framework for addressing some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts. Whether in war-torn regions, refugee crises, or deeply polarized societies, Bruneau’s insights have shown that fostering empathy is not just a lofty ideal — it is a practical tool for building peace.
Bruneau’s approach was rooted in the belief that even the deepest divides can be bridged when we learn to see each other’s humanity. His interventions, which often focused on personal storytelling and direct engagement between opposing groups, were designed to break down the psychological barriers perpetuating conflict. By encouraging people to share their stories and listen to others, Bruneau’s work has demonstrated time and again that empathy can transform relationships, reduce hostility, and pave the way for reconciliation.
Educating for Empathy: The Power of Awareness
One of the key takeaways from Bruneau’s legacy is the critical role of education in cultivating empathy and resolving conflict. When individuals are made aware of their own cognitive biases and the psychological forces that drive conflict, they are better equipped to approach disputes with understanding and compassion.
Educational initiatives focusing on conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking can empower people to manage disagreements constructively and foster positive community interactions. Integrating these lessons into schools, workplaces, and public discourse can build a culture that values empathy and seeks peaceful solutions to conflict.
Building a More Peaceful World: A Call to Action
Emile Bruneau’s life and work remind us that peace is not just the absence of conflict — it is the active process of understanding and addressing the psychological roots of division. His research provides a roadmap for how we can engage with others in ways that promote empathy, reduce dehumanization, and, ultimately, resolve conflicts.
As we reflect on Bruneau’s contributions, the challenge is to apply these insights to our lives. This means committing to practices that foster empathy, such as perspective-taking and
Carrying Bruneau’s Legacy Forward
Emile Bruneau’s work offers hope and a clear path forward in a world that often seems divided. By embracing his strategies and making them part of our everyday interactions, we can each contribute to creating a more empathetic and peaceful world.
“Conflict is inevitable, but dehumanization is a choice. Choose empathy instead.”
John R. Miles
The time to start is now. Whether in personal relationships, community engagements, or broader societal efforts, let’s carry forward Bruneau’s legacy by actively working to understand and connect with those around us. In doing so, we honor his life’s work and contribute to a future where empathy and peace prevail.
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John R. Miles is the dynamic force behind Passion Struck®, captivating millions with his globally-renowned podcast and national radio show, and cementing his status as a guiding voice in alternative health and leadership. A former U.S. Navy officer and Fortune 50 senior executive, he is celebrated as a transformative leader in intentional behavior change and personal mastery. As an author, entrepreneur, and podcast host, John's profound insights and inspirational guidance have earned him accolades as a visionary in modern leadership. John is the author of "Passion Struck: Twelve Powerful Principles to Unlock Your Purpose and Ignite Your Most Intentional Life."
