Three Lessons from Two Activists on Civil Dialogue

Previous Seeds of Civility posts have discussed the difficulty of staying open when our deeply held beliefs are questioned. Based on our brain design, we want to leave or engage in defensive behavior.  These two options are not helpful when we live in a diverse world. Practically, we need to know how to work and live in communities with others who have opposing points of view.

Real world examples are the best way to learn. On Dec 31, 2014 The Des Moines Register published an insightful story on about two political activists, Donna Red Wing of One Iowa, and Bob Vander Plaats from The Family Leader. Red Wing and Vander Plaats have strongly opposing views about marriage.

According to the author, Rehka Basu, the point of the article Activists Vander Plaats, Red Wing find Common Ground, is to encourage readers “to reach out to someone with whom we disagree and find the common ground.”  Basu writes:

Red Wing and Vander Plaats have been meeting every few months for over a year now, for an hour at a time, with no agenda or talking points. They talk about their families, religion, politics. They share an outrage over human trafficking and payday lending. He appreciates her love of children and says she appreciates his service to special ­needs people.

Three Lessons in Civil Dialogue

There are lessons to be learned from the two advocates as they stayed true to their beliefs yet sought out conversation and dialogue. These are not rules, they are simply lessons learned from the powerful example of Red Wing and Vander Plaats’ story.

1. Goal – If you decide to spend time listening to another side of an issue, have a goal in mind that is greater than trying to change the person’s mind.
2. Listen – Treat the other person with same respect you would like when it is your turn to speak.
3. Rhetoric – Consider the possibility of tempering hard line rhetoric.  Ask yourself, “Can I say the same thing and speak with sincerity in a way that does not cause unnecessary pain?”

Think about it:  Would you consider engaging in this kind of dialogue?

Share your thoughts below or at @seedsofcivility.

Seeds of Civility is a blog that is created by The Wallace Centers of Iowa.  Here we cultivate conversations about civility in the workplace.