Stressful and contentious conversations can ruin the holidays. That is why so many people intentionally avoid engaging in real conversation altogether and instead just stick to making small talk. And while that may be okay for a while, it can cause us to miss out on new perspectives, new points of view, and new opportunities for more meaningful relationships and connections.

On this episode of the Civil Squared podcast, host Jennifer Thompson shares some of her favorite clips from previous episodes that can help you approach your holiday conversations in a more productive and enriching way.

From Episode 51: Bridging divides and disagreeing well, Liz Joyner, founder and CEO of The Village Square, talks about how opposing points of view can enrich your perspective and can eliminate blindspots this holiday season.

From Episode 35: Unity, conversation, and being American, Samar Ali, Vanderbilt University research professor and Co-Chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, talks about unity and how it doesn’t mean that we all have to be on the same page, but instead that we all have a common purpose that we are working towards.

From Episode 42: How to have better conversations about race, Erec Smith, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania, shares the number one tip for preparing for holidays with family and friends: pack lightly. And he’s not referring to the number of outfits and pairs of shoes you bring. Listen to learn about the pitfalls of bringing too much baggage into holiday conversations.

Happy Holidays from Civil Squared!