Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World

It’s a lot harder to have meaningful conversations these days, isn’t it? The very idea of discussion itself has grown so toxic that people avoid it entirely. Everything is about advancing one’s agenda and being right, not participating in a mutually beneficial exchanging of ideas. Battle lines are drawn, minds are made up, and debate appears to be mired in eternal gridlock.

How do we proceed?

Breaking Through Gridlock offers a possible place to start. Authors Jay and Grant present their own path to resurrecting encouraging debate and discussion, a study in learning not only to reframe the issue but to approach it personally. And it involves more self-reflection than anything else, an important first step toward cultivating a bridge upon which to meet those you are debating halfway.

I have more than a bit of the know-it-all in me, so I found this to be an enlightening read, one that I’ll surely return to a few more times to reinforce the valuable lessons and activities contained within. Jay and Grant don’t pretend that their technique is an immediate cure-all, but they do present something that we can all work on.