James Coan: Closing the Perception Gap that Tears Us Apart

May 20, 2025

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Given the country's political divide, we often hear that conversations are the key to empathy and connection. Which is true. But that also doesn't scale very well. One way to combat this is to correct dangerous political misperceptions and help us find more overlap. In fact, a Hidden Tribes study shows that 85% of Americans are more similar than we think.

Today, James Coan explains the Perception Gap and how it forces us to see each other as threats rather than with compassion. This applies to the workplace as much as politics. He talks about why conversations are great, but indirect interceptions also help close this gap and bring us together. This includes More Like US's work in education, journalism, and the arts to portray each other in a more accurate light. James also shares some advice for creatives and creators on how they can help. The work is intriguing and frankly, makes a lot of sense - and it can be used by corporate leaders as well. This conversation could not be more important right now, so please learn more about their work and take a listen.

To access the episode transcript, please search for the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com

Key Takeaways:

Books, movies, and other media that feature characters who are “not like us” are not there to convert your children; they are there to expose people to different experiences and lives for better understanding.
We're never going to be able to tap into the conversations and the empathy of listening to one another until we realize that we're closer than we think we are.
People who feel threatened, especially to their safety and security, are more open to authoritarian tendencies. By focusing on the desire for atypical leadership, people are able to work better together rather than fight.

"Every day Americans tend to be more similar ideologically than fellow Americans tend to realize. An average Democrat or Republican will agree on more and are less extreme than people realize." — James Coan

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About James Coan, Co-Founder and Executive Director, More Like US

James Coan is Co-Founder and Executive Director of More Like US, which corrects dangerous political misperceptions of each other at scale. He previously served as DC Alliance Co-chair and Mid-Atlantic Regional Lead for Braver Angels, one of the largest organizations dedicated to reducing political divides, and previously co-led social media and Ambassador outreach nationally. He has been involved closely in the field since shortly after the 2016 election, with a main interest in achieving goals at scale. He brings 10+ years of strategy consulting experience and has worked at a think tank after receiving a degree in public policy from Princeton.

Connect with James Coan

More Like US: https://www.morelikeus.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-coan-6465b15/

Connect with Maria:

Get Maria's books on empathy: Red-Slice.com/books

Learn more about Maria's work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take the LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Facebook: Red Slice

Threads: @redslicemaria

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