Better Angels co-founder Bill Doherty, in a talk to students and faculty at the University of Minnesota in Rochester, teaches and demonstrates how to talk with people who differ from you politically and how to depolarize conversations so that they can be more productive and less damaging to relationships.
‘It absolutely changed my life’: How a conflict-ridden ‘dirtball’ became a legendary bridge builder
09/02/2026
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Growing up in the eighties, his family moved all around the Midwest as his parents chased down steady, blue-collar work: factory jobs, construction, truck driving, whatever could pay the bills. “We were always poor,” Wilk said. And whether they were in Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, or Minnesota, he often found himself on the outs. “It didn’t matter which side of the tracks we were on,” he said. “It was always the wrong side of the tracks.”
1 thought on “Skills for Communicating Across the Political Divide”
I live in southeastern Massachusetts. As are so many of us, I am struggling with the challenges of speaking and finding common ground with people whose political views and beliefs are so different from mine. Does your organization conduct any kind of educational seminars, workshops, gatherings of any type to help with this challenge? Do you have materials or recommended readings or curricula or anything that could help? I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks very much.