Alex Rose

Background

About Alex Rose

When I worked as a journalist, I was forced to confront my assumptions about people who didn't think like me. Interacting with such people through my role as a journalist, as opposed to as an individual, forced me withhold my instinctive reactions, which in turn forced me to take seriously ideas that I had previously simply dismissed. I learned that, as a general rule, the less I understand someone's beliefs or attitudes, the more likely that they are motivated by fear, pain, or confusion. It seemed to me that unresolved fear, pain, or confusion can fester into anger, and unresolved anger can calcify into hate.The insight that there seemed to be a regular and predictable process of hate formation inspired me to return to school to study psychology and cognitive science. I want to better understand the roots of our motivations and behaviours, and share that knowledge with other people on as broad a scale as possible. I don't know what that looks like yet, but hopefully between my BA in Creative Writing and Religious Studies, Master of Data and Investigative Journalism, experience as a full-time journalist, and current education, combined with whatever unique viewpoint you bring to the table, we'll be able to figure something out together!