Columbia has been torn by deep divisions in the last year between vital political activism and the need for the University to continue its regular activities of research and learning while preventing protests from deteriorating into harassment of others. There are ongoing discussions on campus about what it means to have empathy for others—and their feelings when confronted with various actions, symbols, and words. People in our community think differently about how far to extend the principle that speech and conduct should avoid what is experienced by others as threatening and hurtful. While salutary, at a certain point, this principle can become an excuse for censoring uncomfortable but important speech. Discovering this point—or just understanding the myriad points of view and experiences among us—can only be done through face-to-face conversation. Listening is vital to conversation. It opens up a space where curiosity about another way of thinking can take the fore, where we can genuinely listen to each other’s point of view, and where discomfort can be explored safely.