These days, it seems nearly impossible to escape the far-reaching grasp of politics. While some topics may be on the conversational no-fly list, conversations about politics are becoming increasingly prevalent and essential in our changing society. In her workshop, “Talking Politics in Polarizing Times” on April 14th, Dr. Emily Sydnor gave the audience a survival toolkit in the art of political conversation. This workshop was intended to help listeners make sense of what’s going on in the world, and how to carry out political conversation in a way that is respectful and intentional across different networks. Some key takeaways besides the strategies listed below include: patience, empathy, respect, facts and evidence, curiosity, and maturity.
Strategy 1: Just Listen
In all conversations, even beyond the political, listening is a must. Most conversations one encounters will demand more than polite head-nodding and “mhm” as you tune out what the other person is saying. Among listeners, there are four main “types”. These types are analytic, relational, critical, and task-focused. Listening analytically means looking at differences, possible risks, and picking things apart. Relational listening involves asking questions with the intent to build or strengthen relationships. Critical listening usually occurs when an opinion – yours – is being challenged or formed. And lastly, task-focused listening is formed around the creation of achievable goals. Of these, each of us is capable of all four. While we may favor one or the other, it’s important to shift the way you listen to respond in the most positive way possible. This could be called intentional listening, which Sydnor defined as the act of truly listening. Intentional listening is marked by follow-up questions that invite and facilitate positive conversation.
Strategy 2: Acknowledge Confirmation Bias
Anyone who’s taken a psychology class may have heard of confirmation bias. For those who have not, confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information that supports one’s preexisting beliefs. For example, if you’re dead-set on claiming that Napoleon Dynamite is the best movie in all existence, you’re less likely to seek out information that will tell you otherwise. As Sydnor explains it, confirmation bias can transform into a never ending cycle. In this cycle, a person encounters disagreement. Then, the person’s confirmation bias sets in and assumes ignorance or misinformation, therefore avoiding meaningful engagement. This means that the person’s preexisting beliefs and stereotypes persist or even strengthen. Furthermore, social and partisan media make it harder to exit this loop.
Let’s go back to our Napoleon Dynamite example: If you love Napoleon Dynamite and one of your friends likes Mamma Mia, you’re likely to assume they haven’t seen the true greatness of Napoleon Dynamite. This prevents you from engaging with your friend or experiencing something new, therefore trapping you in the belief that Napoleon Dynamite is the best movie and Pedro should be president. By acknowledging confirmation bias, a person enables themselves to interact and build experience with new ideas. While they may not change their mind, it still allows them to grow in one way or another.
Strategy 3: Practicing Civil Respect
If nothing else, this is what you should take away. Civil respect is truly simple in every way, acknowledging and respecting others and their opinions. Firstly, engage in conversations to understand, not persuade. Confirmation bias may prevent a conversation partner from changing their mind during one five-minute conversation. Instead of seeking a change of heart from your conversation partner, encourage discovery and insight through the use of open questions and respectful dialogue. Secondly, recognize your own biases and how they manifest. We all have our own opinions, backgrounds, and views on matters. While this is inherently diverse, it can prevent us from engaging with others who do not agree. By acknowledging our biases, we can better understand our own beliefs while respecting the views of others. Thirdly, challenge yourself to do more than superficially engage with alternative viewpoints. No smiling and nodding along here. In this scenario, our Napoleon Dynamite-lover would explore other movies and maybe even find a new favorite (sorry Pedro). Fourthly, be a strategic communicator. Think about how and why you’re sharing opinions. Is it out of anger? Is it to prove someone wrong? Or is it to foster a positive discussion? We must all understand that civil respect has its limits. These lines are firmly drawn when a conversation partner states deep, factual mistakes or any other such violation.
In polarizing times such as these, it’s important to be able to carry out a civil conversation. Whether it be around the dinner table with family or on an airplane with a stranger, the ability to have meaningful conversations is vital to our everyday lives. By utilizing the tools laid out by Dr. Sydnor, every one of us should be able to hold conversations both political and otherwise in a respectful, civil, and positive way.