General posts
As many organizations have, we’ve been engaged in an ongoing conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it might and should have on Braver Angels. As we are so […]
Lemonade for America: A Note on Our Response to COVID-19 Read More »
Peter Boghossian, Co-author of “How to Have Impossible Conversations,” joins John and Ciaran on the Braver Angels podcast.
Impossible Conversations and Coronavirus with Peter Boghossian Read More »
In the younger days of the Internet, when Facebook was first hitting its stride, the world felt a boundless sense of optimism about the potential of this technology to bring
The Nordic Model, and Why Reds and Blues Need Each Other Read More »
Ciaran O’Connor talks to David McCullough III about his vision for the American Exchange Project, and what we can learn from students bridging the divide.
Studying Abroad… in your own country — On the Braver Angels Podcast Read More »
Employing some strategies used in couples therapy, one group’s mission since 2016 has been to try and heal the bitter divide between liberals and conservatives in the country, urging them to find common ground and avoid labels. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.
The ever-present debate about “identity politics” continues to rage. It’s a conversation that gained strength during the civil rights activism of the latter 20th century, but it truly became a
Identity Politics: Should We Just Call It Fairness? Read More »
President Trump and I have one thing in common: We both detest fake news. But the term “fake news” has different meanings for each of us, and for many Americans.
Better Angels has advanced its mission of depolarizing politics by focusing largely on psychological techniques encouraging cooperation, empathy, mutual respect, and productive communication. We can justify this approach because politics,
A few weeks ago, I was trying—feebly—to learn Vietnamese. My girlfriend is from Vietnam, and my first encounter with her parents was around then. It seemed like the very least
Lessons in Depolarization from Learning Vietnamese Read More »
She was showing me how to open her door. I was going to house-sit, and there was something glitchy about the deadbolt that had to be done just right. “Like
Dispatch: Finding Middle Ground in Divided Times Read More »
By Randy Lioz and Paul Norris Involvement in Braver Angels can be a highly rewarding endeavor, and each of us feels an increasing pull towards the organization, taking on more
Dispatch on One-on-One Conversations: Talking Ourselves Into a New Perspective Read More »
It’s often presumed that empathy is a good thing, and that more of it will make us, and our country, considerably better. If only we could put ourselves into each
Our political divide between red and blue, left and right, is often characterized in the media as an ideological conflict between liberalism and conservatism. Yet the meanings of these ideological
Red or Blue? Liberal or Conservative? The Pitfalls of Labels Read More »
Braver Angels national leader John Wood, Jr. delivers a passionate address to The Visionaries Summit in Sacramento, California on the power of personal transformation to effect social change through Martin
Social Transformation through Self Transformation: John Wood, Jr. at Visionaries Summit Read More »
I’m writing this to avoid the last of my holiday shopping. I still have more to get my niece and nephew, Maddie and Mason. They live in Philadelphia. I only
From North Carolina, Wishing You a Very Braver Angels Christmas Read More »
The University of California, Berkeley, holds a distinct place in the history of political discussion in America. In fact, it’s practically synonymous with left-wing campus protests. In the midst of
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a Braver Angels Debate event in Santa Monica, California, and wanted to offer my insights into the process and how that may
A Mild, Sympathetic Critique of Braver Angels Debates Read More »
When I started researching the different types of cognitive errors to which we fallible humans are susceptible, I had a hypothesis: Blues don’t make cognitive errors. Reds do. Oh, the
Mistakes were Made, But Not By Me: A Look at Some Common Cognitive Errors Read More »
“My country is tearing itself apart. I must do something…but what, exactly?” These were the thoughts running through my head during the 2016 election. It seemed our country– and my
Our Descent Toward Political Loathing, Resentment, and Distrust—And How We Rise Again Read More »
You’d be excused for forgetting, but up until a few years ago Kanye West was quite popular in mainstream American culture, as both a person and an artist. His albums regularly
Perhaps more than any other Western democratic people, Americans revere work. This is not surprising, given our history. Unlike the aristocratic European societies that colonized the Western Hemisphere, where unaccountable
Work and Fairness: Different Visions, Same Values Read More »
People make jokes about family drama at the Thanksgiving table, and let us be clear: it is a situation ripe for humor. But it’s also very serious. We talk about
Ciaran and John talk to road-tripping ideological opponents.
It was after dinner – sometime during the mid-1970s. I was dancing around the living room when our telephone rang. My mom answered the call, which happened to be from
This Thanksgiving: Stay Curious and Kind, but Not Silent Read More »
If you are an American with any reason to follow local news, chances are you’ve heard of us—Better Angels has been covered by scores of local and regional newspapers, not
Building a House United: The Political Understanding of Better Angels Read More »
Greg and Randy join the hosts to discuss the impeachment hearings and all the ways Braver Angels is countering divisions.
The Juiciest (and Most Divisive) Fruit: Impeachment Read More »
There is an anti-authoritarian streak in American culture that many of us love, at least in some of its forms. This is hardly surprising in a country whose creation began
Cops and Teachers: Underappreciated Public Servants Read More »
When it comes to policies and politics, Braver Angels members generally can’t agree on anything. As a result, Braver Angels doesn’t take positions on particular issues. It doesn’t rate or
In my experience, it’s entirely possible to use these skills online, and indeed, if people did so more consciously, our digital world would be a much kinder place.
