The holidays have always been an opportunity for Americans to share a table with relatives from all political backgrounds. The fighting between liberals and conservatives has become more hateful throughout the years, often resulting in verbal arguments or strained relationships.
In a new book, psychologist Kenneth Barish offers advice on how to deal with unproductive and repetitive arguments between family members. His book is “Bridging Our Political Divide: How Liberals and Conservatives Can Understand Each Other and Find Common Ground.”
Barish suggests that Americans can find a way to have fruitful conversations in a way that’s understanding of each other’s concerns and allows for new perspectives. His book explores how liberalism and conservatism is present in not just politics, but mediums like religion, music, and science. It also influences the way we raise children and the beliefs they adopt and implement into their own lives.
The values people fight to defend represent a compassion for those who are suffering, argues Barish. On both the left and right, Americans are feeling humiliation and fear, and lashing out at each other instead of listening.
Barish presents eight principles of constructive dialogue in order to alleviate tensions. It offers a more comprehensive look on how we can all learn to live with each other peacefully, despite and because of our differences.
Guests:
Kenneth Barish is a Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. His new book is “Bridging Our Political Divide: How Liberals and Conservatives Can Understand Each Other and Find Common Ground.”
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*This interview will be recorded on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
