It Starts With a Question: Building a Bigger Tent in Chiropractic
History shows us that unity of purpose can transcend division. Are we willing to ask the questions that get us there?
Last time, I wrote about Ray Dalio’s reminder that 1+1=3 — that collaboration multiplies effectiveness, while division shrinks it.
The next step is obvious: if unity is the goal, how do we get there?
I don’t believe the answer is demanding anyone abandon their philosophical camp. Straight, mixer, evidence-based, vitalistic — those identities run deep. They’re not going away.
But unity doesn’t require sameness. It requires shared purpose. And the way we get there is by asking better questions inside our own circles.
It Starts With a Question
Questions open hearts and minds in ways that arguments never will.
Imagine what could shift if chiropractors started asking their peers things like:
“What would it look like if we worked together on this issue?”
“How much stronger would we be if we aligned on access and authority, even if we don’t agree on technique?”
“What would we gain if we stopped fighting to be right and started working to be relevant?”
Questions don’t demand immediate answers. They plant seeds. They invite reflection. They soften entrenched positions.
If enough people ask them, they change the culture.
Photo: New York Times
History Proves It: The Allies in WWII
Take the Allies during World War II.
The U.S., the U.K., and the Soviet Union were not natural friends. They had opposing systems of government, competing visions of the future, and deep mistrust of one another.
But they also saw a bigger threat — and a bigger goal. They understood that defeating Nazi Germany required unity, not bickering.
So they came under one tent, despite their differences, and fought side by side.
Did they still disagree? Constantly. Did they trust each other fully? Not even close. But together, they achieved something none of them could have done alone.
That’s the power of a bigger tent.
Chiropractic’s Bigger Goal
What is our bigger goal?
Access to care for more people.
Cultural authority that earns us a seat at the table.
A unified voice in policy and reimbursement.
We can’t get there divided. We can’t get there if our camps are more important than our collective success.
We need to come under one tent — not to erase differences, but to scale our impact.
Final Thought
If the Allies could set aside their suspicions and conflicting ideologies long enough to win a world war, surely chiropractic can set aside its technique wars long enough to build a profession worthy of its potential.
But it won’t start with declarations.
It won’t start with ultimatums.
It will start with a question.
What question will you raise in your circle this week?
Dr. Glenn Jaffe is a chiropractor, practice owner, and national advocate with over two decades in the profession. A former president of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association and current legislative leader, he writes about the intersection of leadership, cultural relevance, and the climb chiropractic must undertake to reach its full potential — while quietly helping chiropractors build practices that work as well as they heal.