"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory…will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
– Abraham Lincoln, 1861
I enjoyed the Better Angels Skills Workshop. It did cover the following objectives.
- Learn skills to have respectful conversations with people who disagree with you.
- Clarify differences
- Search for common ground
- Deal with the stress among family members and friends whose view differ from yours
My main take away is that conversations with members of our families , circle of friends and / or associates must be approached with a mind set of understanding. The goal is not to change or persuade others to your side. The purpose is to listen and to try to understand. You may discover areas of common interest; you may come to appreciate the person's point of view; you may find common ground or you may agree to disagree. This type of work is essential if we are going to move forward.
If you have a chance to attend a workshop, I strongly recommend it. You could learn to move from the first picture to the second picture.