A House Divided? Handling Hot Political Discussions Without Getting Burned

Then use that understanding to find common ground.

If you’re really listening to why something is important, it is almost always possible to find common ground. And that can change the entire dynamic of a political clash.

In a recent conversation with several colleagues, two were clashing sharply over who they were voting for. Each of them were essentially saying (without using these words) “How could you!?”

And yet as I listened, I realized that they weren’t actually that far apart in many areas. And that became evident when one person was vulnerable about what it was like to grow up on welfare; how embarrassing that was, and how much they had wanted a better life. So supporting those who needed a safety net was a huge factor behind some of this person’s voting intentions. The other colleague disagreed with the outcome (which candidate to support) but was able to share how much they, too, wanted to support those who needed it. Pretty soon, the two adversaries were having a meaningful conversation about the need for welfare reform: which both thought was important. Common ground. The snarls (and the “how could you?!” feeling) completely went away.