How to Construct a Curious Conversation on Social Media

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I think containment is such an interesting one because these days it does feel like even non-public figures have a real fear about what will other people think when they hear this conversation. So how do you make it feel safer for a person to talk to you about an idea that's different? I think a big, maybe the most important tool is modeling. If you want to have a context of intellectual humility, of openness and of candor, you model it.

When was the last time you really connected with someone who disagrees with you? Or saw a post on social media that challenged your views? Or listened to a newscast from across the political aisle? Modern life places us in all kinds of echo chambers – so what happens when these divides stop us from actually seeing and understanding one another? Today’s guest, journalist Mónica Guzmán, is the daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted –twice– for Donald Trump. Now the chief storyteller for “Braver Angels”, an organization dedicated to political depolarization, Monica shares the tools she uses to find common ground with her loved ones. She talks about why interacting with (and listening to) different points of view is critical work – and how through curiosity we can achieve the seemingly impossible task of understanding those we tend to think of as our enemy. Her book, “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times” is out now.