Skills Workshop: How to Talk to Your Political Opposite

In our current polarized political environment, many people avoid or dread political conversations with friends or family members whose politics differ from their own. They worry, rightly so, that any attempts at political discussions will devolve into arguments and acrimony, and result in hurt feelings or anger.

This workshop will teach skills for having respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship. It will also give participants a safe environment to practice those skills. It is a well-tested system developed by Better Angels.

Goals:

• To learn about the perspectives, feelings, and experiences of someone you care about who differs from you politically
• To have a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your own perspective, feelings, and experiences
• To discover some common ground, if it’s there

The Process

After a brief introduction and a discussion about what can go wrong in political discussions, participants in a skills workshop can expect to learn the following:

• Tone setting skills
• Listening skills
• Speaking skills
• Handling difficult moments

Participants will also get opportunities to practice these skills.