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I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán

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I Never Thought of It That Way

How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times

by Mónica Guzmán

Narrator Mónica Guzmán

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Length 8 hours 46 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“Communities work better when members with differing points of view can talk to each other comfortably and compassionately. Journalist Mónica Guzmán walks us through ways in which we can hear and engage with anyone within a polarized society. Inspired by her desire to bridge deep and threatening conversational divides within her family, arising from the 2016 Presidential election, Guzmán expertly walks us through ways we can approach difficult conversations within any aspect of society. The tool we need to use most is our curiosity - the hurdle we need to jump over is our fear - the promise awaiting us is a welcome re-engagement with each other (even when we deeply disagree). This book is a great resource for anyone wishing to broker consensus among deeply divided groups.”
— Wendy • The Corner Stone Bookshop

Summary

We think we have the answers, but we need to be asking a lot more questions.

Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted—twice—for Donald Trump. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica set out to find what was blinding us and discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own built-in curiosity.

Partisanship is up, trust is down, and our social media feeds make us sure we’re right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). But avoiding one another is hurting our relationships and our society.

In this timely, personal guide, Mónica, the chief storyteller for the national cross-partisan depolarization organization Braver Angels, takes you to the real front lines of a crisis that threatens to grind America to a halt—broken conversations among confounded people. She shows you how to overcome the fear and certainty that surround us to finally do what only seems impossible: understand and even learn from people in your life whose whole worldview is different from or even opposed to yours.

Drawing from cross-partisan conversations she’s had, organized, or witnessed everywhere from the echo chambers on social media to the wheat fields in Oregon to raw, unfiltered fights with her own family on election night, Mónica shows how you can put your natural sense of wonder to work for you immediately, finding the answers you need by talking with people—rather than about them—and asking the questions you want, curiously.

In these pages, you’ll learn:
  •  How to ask what you really want to know (even if you’re afraid to)
  •  How to grow smarter from even the most tense interactions, online or off
  •  How to cross boundaries and find common ground—with anyone

Whether you’re left, right, center, or not a fan of labels: If you’re ready to fight back against the confusion, heartbreak, and madness of our dangerously divided times—in your own life, at least—Mónica’s got the tools and fresh, surprising insights to prove that seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible. It’s easier than you think.