What’s Inspiring Us – 06
Now more than ever before, it may seem that people are more divided, less trusting, and increasing partisan. This feeling can especially be amplified during the holiday season, when we gather with family and friends for celebrations. What is the best way to navigate such tension over the dinner table at Thanksgiving or the annual Christmas party? How do we hold productive conversations despite our differences? These questions are integral to Mónica Guzmán’s book, I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.
Our relationships with family and friends can significantly impact our perception of self and ultimately mental well-being. Disagreement perhaps feels hardest during times traditionally meant for bringing people together. Can we bridge the gap between love and sometimes differing convictions? Móni Guzmán would answer yes – the proud liberal daughter of Mexican immigrant parents who voted twice for President Donald Trump, she is not only close with her family, but shares how she navigated those dynamics in her book.
Móni is a journalist and Chief Storyteller at Braver Angels – a national organization focusing on cross-partisan depolarization. Her thesis: our inherent curiosity is a powerful tool for identifying our disconnect with one another and a building block for more constructive conversations. With the echo chambers that are social media and algorithms, it’s all the more important to understand or even learn from the people we may disagree with. In I Never Thought of It That Way, discover:
- Ways to cross boundaries and find common ground, no matter whether you consider yourself right/left/independent
- Learning from tense interactions – both on- and offline
- Finding courage to ask what you really want to know
If you’re eager to dive in, you can find I Never Thought of It That Way anywhere books are sold. While you’re there, download the discussion guide so you can process your thoughts with a reading group (perhaps your own coalition of curious individuals). Share with us on LinkedIn what you’ve learned and how that may change your mindset going into your next holiday gathering.
Additional resources:
- Check out Móni’s TED talk, “How Curiosity Will Save Us”
- Guest appearance on Politics & Prose podcast
Given our work, the Savor Lining team thinks a lot about mental fitness, psychology, and wellness subjects. In no particular order, we’ll be sharing some of the resources that have inspired us. These include but aren’t limited to:
- Books
- Online resources
- Apps we’ve personally used and found helpful
- Thought leaders and figures we follow
- Non-profit or charitable organizations doing exceptional work
We invite you to stay curious and learn something new today!