Thanksgiving Special: Disagreeing Better With Those You Love. Mónica Guzmán

Many people say Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday: No cards to be sent. No presents to be purchased. A pause with family and close friends before the year-end holiday rush. 

Thanksgiving is about gratitude, but it can also be a time of anxiety, and even dread. What do you say to family members, friends and neighbors who vote for a candidate or political party you despise? How do you react when they launch into a rant or say something that you find offensive? We share tips about how to disagree better with those you love.

Our guest is Braver Angels National Advisor Mónica Guzmán, author of the book “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times”. Móni is the liberal leaning, loving daughter of conservative parents. She’s had a lot of personal experience of connecting with people not like her. We hear several examples in this episode.

Despite rigid political polarization among elites, everyday Americans may have much more in common than many of us believe. A new Gallup poll finds that more than four-in-five adults endorse compromise and reject political violence. Research for More In Common and other groups found that people have a distorted understanding of those on the other side of the political aisle.

One-on-one and in-person conversations are the best way for us to overcome polarization in our personal lives, says Mónica. "The only context where we have our full arsenal of communication tools available is the in-person conversation."

In our interview, Móni also shares valuable tips about how to listen with curiosity, lean into disagreements and turn them away from awkwardness and misunderstandings.

Learn more about how to have better conversations with friends and loved ones who see the world differently than you do here at the Braver Angels website. 

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