Welcome to the 7-Day Campaign for Connection Challenge
Are you feeling exhausted by the tension and division as the 2024 U.S. presidential election draws near? You're definitely not alone.
Research tells us that three out of four Americans see political hostility and divisiveness as a serious problem and want to live in a less polarized country. This makes good sense: Intense social division hurts our relationships, our well-being, and the very fabric of our democracy.
That’s why we’re launching this 7-Day Campaign for Connection Challenge, designed to help us navigate these polarized times with practical, science-based skills. Our goal is simple: to make it easier for you to connect with others with empathy and respect, even if they see the world differently from you.
We invite you to see how practicing these skills can foster understanding, ease stress, and create a stronger sense of connection with your loved ones and community. Let’s turn division into understanding and conflict into connection!
See the Person, Not the Label
When we learn personal details about others—beyond their political labels—we view them with more warmth. By focusing on individual qualities and characteristics, we feel less threatened by people who might seem “not like us.”
Expand Your Views and Circles
Science suggests that forming friendships with people who don't look or think like you is good for your health. A first step is seeking out information that can challenge your stereotypes and assumptions about other groups, such as by visiting places–or media–that expose you to new people and ideas.
Find Shared Identities
We can better connect with people who don’t share our political views if we focus on other important identities that we have in common—i.e., As Americans committed to democracy, freedom, community, and belonging.
Practice Perspective Taking
Perspective taking can help us appreciate where others are coming from—all while holding firm to our own views. When you find it difficult to relate to someone’s viewpoint, try asking yourself, “What experiences might have shaped their views?” By considering this question—even if you don’t engage directly with the other person—you can broaden your perspective.
Listen with Compasssion
Science tells us that if we want other people to understand us, we should start by listening more closely to them. When we listen, we are perceived as more trustworthy, and it encourages our conversation partners to be more open-minded, less defensive, and less focused on their self-interests.
Try Self Distancing
When conversations get heated, we can get so caught up in our thoughts and emotions that we can’t engage constructively. Self-distancing encourages you to view yourself from an outsider's perspective and think about yourself in the third person—such as saying, "Jane is so angry" instead of "I'm so angry".
Identify Common Goals
Despite our differences, we’re more willing and able to put those differences aside when we identify a shared goal that we need to work together to achieve. Focusing on common goals can shift our perceptions of each other from adversaries to collaborators.
See the Person, Not the Label
When we learn personal details about others—beyond their political labels—we view them with more warmth. By focusing on individual qualities and characteristics, we feel less threatened by people who might seem “not like us.”
Find Shared Identities
We can better connect with people who don’t share our political views if we focus on other important identities that we have in common—i.e., As Americans committed to democracy, freedom, community, and belonging.
Listen with Compasssion
Science tells us that if we want other people to understand us, we should start by listening more closely to them. When we listen, we are perceived as more trustworthy, and it encourages our conversation partners to be more open-minded, less defensive, and less focused on their self-interests.
Identify Common Goals
Despite our differences, we’re more willing and able to put those differences aside when we identify a shared goal that we need to work together to achieve. Focusing on common goals can shift our perceptions of each other from adversaries to collaborators.
Expand Your Views and Circles
Science suggests that forming friendships with people who don't look or think like you is good for your health. A first step is seeking out information that can challenge your stereotypes and assumptions about other groups, such as by visiting places–or media–that expose you to new people and ideas.
Practice Perspective Taking
Perspective taking can help us appreciate where others are coming from—all while holding firm to our own views. When you find it difficult to relate to someone’s viewpoint, try asking yourself, “What experiences might have shaped their views?” By considering this question—even if you don’t engage directly with the other person—you can broaden your perspective.
Try Self Distancing
When conversations get heated, we can get so caught up in our thoughts and emotions that we can’t engage constructively. Self-distancing encourages you to view yourself from an outsider's perspective and think about yourself in the third person—such as saying, "Jane is so angry" instead of "I'm so angry".
“We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr
