Why is it difficult to talk politics, and what can I do about that?

The next Community Conversations will be Saturday, May 18, at the Menomonie Public Library from 12:30 to 2:30 PM.

Dr. Richard Nagler will be leading the presentation and discussion “Why is it difficult to talk politics, and what can I do about that?” inspired by Monica Guzman’s book I Never Thought Of It That Way.  Guzman’s book discusses the unpredictable meeting of minds where individuals with widely different lives can surprise, delight and ultimately learn from each other.  She believes that connecting with other humans is what makes our lives rich and meaningful.  Curiosity keeps our minds open and diverging perspectives give us fresh angles on truth.

Since 1994 politics has become showy and intense.  There has been growing animosity between groups of people.  People end up in “echo chambers” which isolates them from our complicated world.  Voices in these echo chambers have all the answers and we insist on our own perspectives.  Assumptions are made about others.  We feel there is a competition between sides.   Politics has become stopping the other side rather than how we coexist wisely and how we create our society.

Join us as we discuss building bridges with each other and crossing them. We can recognize the full humanity of others regardless of identity or beliefs. We need to give people the space to be who they are.  We can improve our listening skills as we interact with them.  Our intuition is to like other people and a good-natured banter and spirited debate can be fun.  Learning about others can be better than winning a debate or persuading others.  When you know other people’s stories, they make sense - who we are is because of where we’ve been with our experiences, values and attachments.