For those who think Democracy should be
a collaborative experience.
September 9, 2008
If you wish they’d think more like you do, you need to be able to think like they do
If you can’t comprehend how anyone could have been moved to tears of joy by Obama’s acceptance speech and tears of sadness by Palins, you’re probably not ready to persuade any Obama supporters to consider your views. And if you cannot fathom why Governeor Palin galvaized the GOP, you’re probably not ready to get any mcCain / Palin supporters to consider your perspective.
You don’t have to agree with their views to be able to stand in a place where you can clearly see them. But you do need to be willing to see what they see to have any influence at all.
I like the phrase the Difficult Conversations authors suggest. Ask yourself, “why would a reasonable person say that?”
Ultimately you might find they aren’t so reasonable after all. But your chances of being politically persuasive are much better if you start with the assumption that they are. And even if they’re not, it’s helpful to be able to get inside of their (non)reality if you’re hoping to inspire them into yours.
If you want anyone to think more like you do, you need to be able to think more like they do.
I have ten guidellines to reasonable dialogue in this article.
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