optimism, help people speak civilly. Braver Angels, & subgroup, Living Room Conversations.
Recently, Becca Kearl, our executive director, and I led dialogue workshops with students and staff at Yale University.
We’ve worked with colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada, and the pattern is familiar by now.
People are thoughtful but cautious. Many are afraid of saying the “wrong” thing, of being misunderstood, or judged.
At Yale, we gathered in groups of five and began with questions like, What purpose drives you? What would your friends say about who you are? What are your hopes/concerns for your community?
Towards the end of one of these facilitated conversations, a student asked: “How do we become good ancestors?”
The room went still.
It shifted the conversation from ideology to responsibility. From reacting to imagining the kind of world we are shaping for people we’ll never even meet.
Suddenly the energy shifted. Students weren’t refining an argument, they went into listening mode. For at least one student the question pointed at something broader: How can we become the human-centered leaders our world needs?
Another student came up to me afterward and shared how engaging the experience was and that he wants to bring this to his choir. Staff asked how to bring Living Room Conversations into their own corners of campus.
This is why we do this work.
Because becoming a “good ancestor” and investing in the next generations doesn’t begin in some distant future. It begins right now. In rooms where we choose curiosity over judgment. Presence over performance. Humanity over talking points.
If you’d like to bring experiences like this to your campus or community, please respond to this email and we’d be happy to help you.
Annie Caplan
Director of Engagement
Living Room Conversations
Braver Angels YouTube: This Moment Calls Us | Braver Angels
Bushell's story reminds us that part of our existence is to show by example that we can be each other's purpose to push forward. Thank you for sharing!
optimism, help people speak civilly. Braver Angels, & subgroup, Living Room Conversations.
Recently, Becca Kearl, our executive director, and I led dialogue workshops with students and staff at Yale University.
We’ve worked with colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada, and the pattern is familiar by now.
People are thoughtful but cautious. Many are afraid of saying the “wrong” thing, of being misunderstood, or judged.
At Yale, we gathered in groups of five and began with questions like, What purpose drives you? What would your friends say about who you are? What are your hopes/concerns for your community?
Towards the end of one of these facilitated conversations, a student asked: “How do we become good ancestors?”
The room went still.
It shifted the conversation from ideology to responsibility. From reacting to imagining the kind of world we are shaping for people we’ll never even meet.
Suddenly the energy shifted. Students weren’t refining an argument, they went into listening mode. For at least one student the question pointed at something broader: How can we become the human-centered leaders our world needs?
Another student came up to me afterward and shared how engaging the experience was and that he wants to bring this to his choir. Staff asked how to bring Living Room Conversations into their own corners of campus.
This is why we do this work.
Because becoming a “good ancestor” and investing in the next generations doesn’t begin in some distant future. It begins right now. In rooms where we choose curiosity over judgment. Presence over performance. Humanity over talking points.
If you’d like to bring experiences like this to your campus or community, please respond to this email and we’d be happy to help you.
Annie Caplan
Director of Engagement
Living Room Conversations
Braver Angels YouTube: This Moment Calls Us | Braver Angels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5qdDd4Mle0
Bushell's story reminds us that part of our existence is to show by example that we can be each other's purpose to push forward. Thank you for sharing!