Switching Sides

This episode was originally published on April 12, 2019.

In this time when people are so polarized, dug into their camps, and listening to their own echo chambers, changing our minds and actions can be harder than ever. This week, Piya asks: What compels us to switch sides?

Here are the stories from this week's episode...

Why a cold-blooded criminal spared the life of the man that killed his loved one

During a robbery-gone-wrong at Hudson's Bay in Toronto, Glen Flett shot and killed the store's manager. At the time, he felt no remorse for the deceased man. But his mindset changed when a beloved mother figure was killed, and he found himself on the other side of crime.

Former Twitter troll credits Sarah Silverman with helping him see 'how important talking is'

David Weissman used to spend a lot of time online trumpeting President Trump, aggressively promoting Republican values and harassing anyone who disagreed with him. But a civil exchange with comedian Sarah Silverman led the self-described troll to exit the mob, think for himself and approach political discourse with kindness and an open mind.

What ultimately changed the mind of a mother who refused to vaccinate her kids

Kristen O'Meara chose not to vaccinate her children, despite the longstanding scientific evidence that vaccines are effective in preventing illness and that they have no correlation with causing serious or chronic illness. She tells Piya how the combination of her family falling ill and a personal conversation with a colleague convinced her to change her tune on vaccines.