I completed the listening challenge with my sister Jeanine who leans toward the liberal side of the political spectrum in comparison to my more moderate tendencies.
Communication was never our strong suit so the listening challenge script allowed us to begin a conversation with ease and stick with it even when we disagreed. We learned things about each other that we might not have otherwise talked about.
The listening challenge not only pushed us out of our comfort zone to discuss sensitive political issues but also contained personal questions about our hopes and dreams for the future. We realized although we may have divergent political views, we have similar values and goals.
Another one of my take-aways from the LC was I gained questions that I can use as conversation openers with friends or aquatinces to better empathize with their stories and how that’s shaped their political views. Hopefully, through the conduit of meaningful and respectful dialogue, realization that we have more commonalities than differences will help us come together to solve the complex issues of modern society.
Lauren