This is the first episode in a three-part series about how to have difficult conversations with people who see the world differently, how to have better debates about contentious issues, and how to ethically and scientifically persuade one another about things that matter – in short, this is a three-part series about How Minds Change (which is also the title of my new book).
There seems to be a movement afoot, a new wave of nonfiction about how to reduce all this argumentative madness and epistemic chaos. I want to boost everyone's signal on this issue, so I thought it would be nice to collaborate instead of compete, since that's part of what we are all proselytizing with these books.
So this episode’s guest is Mónica Guzmán, the author of I Never Thought of It That Way – a book with very practical advice on how to have productive conversations in a polarized political environment via authentic curiosity about where people’s opinions, attitudes, and values come from. In short, it’s about how to reduce polarization and learn from those with whom we disagree by establishing the sort of dynamic in which they will eagerly learn from us as well.
- How Minds Change: www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome
- Show Notes: www.youarenotsosmart.com
- Newsletter: https://davidmcraney.substack.com
- David McRaney’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidmcraney
- YANSS Twitter: https://twitter.com/notsmartblog
- Mónica Guzmán’s Website: https://www.moniguzman.com
- Mónica Guzmán’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/moniguzman
- I Never Thought of it That Way: https://www.moniguzman.com/book
- Braver Angels: https://braverangels.org
- My Article on Intellectual Humility: https://bigthink.com/the-well/change-your-mind-intellectual-humility/