On a recent Sunday afternoon a group of seven people gathered at Sweet Donkey to discuss Johnathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (Pantheon, 2012).
Roanoke artist Katherine Devine put the call out for anyone interested in discussing the book after a conversation with Delegate Sam Rasoul. “He said it helped him better understand why conversations on important issues are so polarized,” said Devine. “I wanted to know more, and so did some others. About half of us had read at least some of the book at the first meeting, and all of us thought that book was worth going deeper with. So after one really good conversation, we’re going to come together again.”
Devine shared a couple of early takeaways. “First,” she said, “I learned that each of us – no matter what side of an argument we’re on – lean into an opinion using our intuition. Then we then use our rational ability to support and defend it. So we’re processing information through different lenses from the start.
“A second big takeaway,” she added, “was that we are actually working together in concert in so many ways. Think of how we organize through social media! The groups that we belong to are key in how we get along. So it’s interesting that we might come together in groups to talk about how these ‘hives,’ as Haidt calls them, work. Everyone has relevant experience and something to share. We’re learning and exploring this together.”
The group is open to more participants. When the next date is set, we’ll post it here at BOOK CITY ★ Roanoke. Send us your contact information below, and we’ll email you with the information.
BOOK CITY ★ Roanoke 
Doug, today we especially need to be reminded not to escalate over politics. In Nursing, we are increasingly having conversations about civility. I believe our politicians and (God forbid) Facebook posters should always evaluate words and posts to determine if their words are beneficial versus non-beneficial.
LikeLike
So true! The book’s a reminder that we fall into patterns of discourse. We often lead with an emotional response. If we can pause to question and challenge ourselves, there’s potential for real growth.
LikeLike