When our goals are to persuade, frustration surfaces in the form of hyperbole and presumption about the motivations and expectations of others. Elizabeth Lesser’s solution is to take those people to lunch.
Bottom-up Candidate Debates
10questions asks voters to select and critique candidate Q&A. The crowd-sourced topic selection bypasses any bias from media moguls or campaign managers.
Relational Politics: A Cure for Polarization
The reason for being interested in facilitating a relational approach to talking politics is to mitigate or reverse the violent consequence of polarization.
Relational Design for Political Discourse
As humans, we are hard-wired to connect with others. Yet our societal debates are largely characterized by barriers to connection. Focusing in mutuality in relationships might change that.
Political Rhetoric Can Amplify Violent Attitudes
A Michigan researcher says violent speech leads to violent attitudes. An annual business survey revealed that repetition breeds trust. Together, these findings construct a crucial dynamic in political discourse.
Quotes about Politics and Connection
It’s nice to say let’s be bipartisan. But we’re a partisan nation. We were raised as a partisan nation.—Colin Powell
The Internet Gives Us Better Process
A concern about of Web 2.0 content is that it may not be true. It may be better for our ability to understand truth if it isn’t.