Conversations in Divided Times

Sixty-two percent of Americans say they feel unsafe expressing their political opinions. When the right and the left are so polarized, it is tough to have a conversation that doesn't get overheated. But, according to Monica Guzman, who works in Communication at the nonprofit Braver Angels, and who authored the new book "I Never Thought of It That Way", says divergent viewpoints don't need to obliterate relationships. 

Guzmán notes that we have sorted ourselves into silos where we rarely have to confront those with different ideologies, making it easier to dehumanize them. But, she contends, we can have manageable conversations across our self-assigned blocs if we replace certainty with curiosity. 

Guzman proposes that we can all have INTUIT moments (“I Never Thought of It That Way”) if we:

• See different opinions as invitations to learn instead of direct threats to our beliefs;
• Give up the need to be right and focus on the need to stay connected;
• Stop seeing people as representatives of groups we can dismiss and see them instead as individuals whose backgrounds inform their beliefs.

This may sound simple, but simple is not the same as easy, writes Lisa Selin Davis, discussing Guzman’s book in The New York Times. But with consistent effort and an open-minded attitude, we may be able to reclaim some lost relationships. 

Have you had a recent conversation with someone on the other end of the political spectrum, and how did it go? Any insights you can share? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. 

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