How Curiosity Can Bridge Dangerous Divides: Mónica Guzmán

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

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5 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this presidential election year, partisan divides cause political gridlock and distrust. We're encouraged to believe that we're right and those on the other side are ignorant, stupid, or evil. But avoiding awkward conversations with those we disagree with is a big reason why America is so bitterly divided. Journalist, bridge builder, and author Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of conservative Mexican immigrant parents. We hear the personal story told with humor and passion of how Mónica set out to understand what divides America. In this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", we discuss practical ways to use our own sense of curiosity to have cross-partisan conversations with colleagues, friends, and family. Mónica is the author of the book "I Never Thought Of It That Way". She serves as Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, and hosts the podcast series, "A Braver Way".

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today we share an argument for radical curiosity, why it's so often the key to
0:05.9	understanding and staying in the same room with people you passionately
0:10.9	disagree with. This approach requires effort and patience and
0:16.1	our guest has a history of personal practice with her parents. They love each
0:21.8	other but they view the world through an entirely different lens.
0:26.4	I keep learning.
0:27.8	This is not something where I feel like I already know.
0:31.1	I have all the answers.
0:32.4	This is, we just got to do it this way guys. No, that's not a thing. There's so
0:37.3	much wisdom out there about how to do this, that is untapped. This is
0:59.0	Let's find common ground. I'm Ashley Luntight. And I'm Richard Davies.
1:01.0	Our guest is Monica Guzman,
1:03.8	author of the widely read book,
1:05.8	I never thought of it that way.
1:08.4	She's also at Braver Angels,
1:10.4	an organization working to depolarize America.
1:14.0	Monica also hosts the new podcast series A Brave Away.
1:18.0	She talks with guests from both sides of the aisle about how to disagree about politics without losing heart.
1:25.3	That sounds a little bit like us.
1:27.4	It does.
1:28.4	So here's our chat with Monica Guzman.
1:32.4	We spoke with her nearly two years ago and are sharing this conversation for a second time.
	...

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