Our survival instincts say one thing (Take sides! Fight back! It's us against them!) Our better instincts say another (We're in this together! United we stand!). What does it take to turn "them" into "us?"

It took a crisis for me to recognize how quickly, how consistently and deliberately, I threw up the screen that shielded me from "them"—the suffering, the poor, the unlucky, the unchic, the unheard of, the unfit the unfunny...until the night of [the 9/11] TV newscast, when I found "them" in myself. Now I see "us" everywhere, often unexpectedly, always gratefully.
—Valerie Monroe 

More nuggets of wisdom that can help you bridge the gap.

Read more inspirational stories for other concrete, practical ways to lessen the gaps, heal the rifts, and get from "them" to "us."

• Culture Clash
• Equal-Opportunity Annoyer
• The Marriage Whisperer
• Pro-Understanding