Having The Talk: Finding Common Ground

Do you have a relative you haven’t been able to speak with since the election?

Are you genuinely bewildered at how so many Americans can share beliefs so different from yours?

It’s no secret that we live in the most polarized moment in generations. It often seems like there are two very different Americas, each with conflicting views on our country’s past, present and future. Yet beneath the rhetoric, liberals and conservatives often have more in common than meets the eye. By understanding the cultural narratives or “deep stories” underlying each others’ positions, we can begin to form unconventional alliances - ones that, if we’re lucky, might just bring about the changes that we ALL seek.