ELEPHANT DIALOGUES

I'm joined for this episode by Haley Beckstrand to talk about abortion, and why it's so hard for us to understand one another's motivations.  Motive Attribution Asymmetry is the idea that we assume our own ideology is based on love, while our opponent's ideology is based on hate.  This makes conversation difficult, and it's easy to believe when politicians tell us all about their opponent's nefarious motives.  But if we take the time to talk to our friends and family members, and ask them about their motivations and drives, we'll be better able to address tough subjects.  Summary for this episode: Ask about, and then listen to, someone else's motivations. You might find that their underlying values are things you can agree on, even if we disagree on the specifics of reaching those goals.  

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Welcome to the Elephant Dialogues! Our mission is to improve the way we talk about politics, and overcome the contempt, anger and frustration that dominates so much of politics today.  In this episode, I'll explain the concept and plan for this podcast, where the name comes from, and how you can get involved.  

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