Topic: Talking About Politically Charged Topics

Because some of the current events are so politically charged, I've been getting practice trying to keep small group discussions constructive. I believe more than ever that if we can't have constructive conversations on sensitive, controversial topics with people we know and like, we will never sort out the social issues the country is faced with.

How do you do this? I will share the principles I am using that make a difference in my own conversations. We'll discuss:

• The absolute prerequisite to having a constructive conversation, and why it is entirely under your control
• Specific introspective work you may need to do prior to finding yourself discussing a divisive topic
• Why "listening" is a poor substitute for engaging with the other person
• Ground rules that make the conversation constructive, versus those that make it more contentious
• The selfish reason to engage in uncomfortable conversations

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