Happy Thanksgiving from The Purple Principle team! This week we’re revisiting an episode from November 2021. 

In the aftermath of another fractious election season, and heading into the holiday season, it feels appropriate to bring psychologist Tania Israel back into the feed. She explains the active listening methods we need to have genuine conversations across the political divide and across the dinner table, when opposing viewpoints are in the house.

Are we Americans trapped in our end zones of polarized bubbles ever more motivated to reason away conflicting viewpoints? 

Our featured guest, psychologist Tania Israel, thinks not and should know. Dr. Israel has been holding workshops over the past two decades to help participants bridge political and social divisions. In this Purple Principle episode, co-hosts Robert Pease & Jillian Youngblood speak with Tania about these workshops, her flowchart that (almost) solved political polarization, and her book, Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide. 

With Dr. Israel’s facilitation, we apply the bubble bursting toolkit to a serious in-house case of affective (aka negative) polarization -- Jillian’s deep dislike of the New England Patriots, especially ex-Patriot and presumptive GOAT (greatest of all time), quarterback Tom Brady, stemming from her identity as a New York Jets Fan. 

“I’m so glad you brought up something that’s so central to our democracy,” quips Israel, who gamely plays along as we advance this metaphor down the political football field.  

Family gatherings were never friction-free. Then polarization came along. Listen in for helpful advice from an all-star in respectful and compassionate dialogue, just in time for Thanksgiving. 

Author and scholar Dr. Tania Israel is the first guest in our three-part Holiday Survival Kit. More here: https://fluentknowledge.com/holiday-kit

SHOW NOTES

Our Guests

Tania Israel: Website, Twitter, Book, Faculty page.

Additional Resources

• How to Win a Political Argument | Dr. Tania Israel | TEDxSanLuisObispo


• Moderates are less likely to post about their political views on social media | Pew Research


• Bipartisan Public Consensus Offers Direction for US Foreign Policy in Second Bush Term | Dr. Steven Kull


• The Bias Blind Spot: Perceptions of Bias in Self Versus Others


• Motivated Skepticism in the Evaluation of Political Beliefs | AJPS


• Tom Brady suspension case timeline


• NFL History - Super Bowl Winners | ESPN

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