Rules for civil engagement: How to talk with someone unlike yourself | Jon Zimmerman

Here are some practical ways to disagree and get along with someone at the same time.

- There are a basic set of rules you can use when talking with someone who believes different things than you do, says Jonathan Zimmerman.

- Statements like, "You're a blankety-blank" close discussions rather than open them. Instead, say, "You know, that's interesting. That's not the way I see it. Tell me more about why you think that." Being more open about your intentions can help, too. Tell the person that you see the issue from a different angle, and ask them what they think of your view.

- A key rule for civil discourse, especially in this political climate, is to recognize the difference between emotion and argument. The depth of conviction with which something is said is not a substitute for argument quality or truth.

Jonathan Zimmerman is Professor of History of Education at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A former Peace Corps volunteer and high school social studies teacher, Zimmerman is the author of Campus Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know and six other books. He is also a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, and other popular periodicals. His latest is The Case for Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues in American Schools (https://amzn.to/2ZnAZ5j)

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