Stress can put people’s nerves on edge, but it can also cause them to be kinder and more compassionate toward others.
Category Archives: Finding Common Ground
At this library, it’s humans on loan, not books
Discover a new way to walk a mile in another’s shoes with a new type of library that tells the real stories of different people.
Teens’ Play Brings Immigration Conversation to North Texas
Read this article about one group of teens bringing a national conversation to their local theatre stage.
Teens and Boston Cops Find Common Ground
Watch this video about how, despite having a history of racial tensions, the Boston Police Department is working closely with youths to find commonalities, easing tensions between officers and minorities, and avoiding the violence that is occurring in other U.S. cities.
About Intercultural Friendship
Making friends with someone from a culture different from your own is a great way to expand your horizons. Read the article to learn what pitfalls to avoid.
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots
Learn about this global organization that helps young people identify the challenges they can address in their own communities.
The Benefits of Volunteering as a Family
Learn about the benefits of volunteering as a family and the positive impact it has on our communities.
Why the North Pond Hermit Hid from People for 27 Years
Author Michael Finkel explains what drew him to the man he wrote about in his book The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit.
How to disagree productively and find common ground
Former world debate champion and business strategist Julia Dhar argues that debating ideas instead of identities is the key to productive conversations.
The barrier-breaking power of learning someone else’s story
Read how the organiation Narrative 4 pairs people around the world to hear each other’s story and then retell them.
The Words That Remade America
Garry Wills, journalist and historian, recounts the events surrounding the Gettysburg Address and argues that Lincoln’s words changed the way Americans viewed country’s founding documents.
Tightness and Looseness: A New Way to Understand Differences across the 50 United States
The cultural differences between regions in the United States are as pronounced as the geographical ones. But how can we explain and describe the differences in attitudes, customs, and behaviors between states? This article describes one potential framework.
How to connect and find common ground in any situation
In this how-to column, the writer recommends connecting over small things before initiating deeper conversations.
The self-reliant individual is a myth that needs updating
Philosophy professor Kimberly Brownlee agrues that romanticized loners usually had some social grounding and that socializtion is needed in order to succeed.
6 Things You May Not Know About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is currently touring the country. Learn about its original design and intent.
In ‘The New Face Of America,’ Journalist Alex Wagner Saw Herself
Journalist and author Alex Wagner talks about her memoir, Futureface, which examines multiple identities and inconsistencies in family stories in order to find out where she belongs.
Commonality Vs. Common Ground—What’s the Difference?
Psychologist Kathy Cramer offers advice on how to have a conversation with someone who has a differing viewpoint.
The Full Nelson
As many athletes and fans know, sports can unify people who don’t have much in common otherwise. This article explains how Nelson Mandela used rugby and other sports to help unify the people of South Africa after years of racial segregation.
Empathize with Your Political Foe
An opinion columnist gives his take on how finding common ground will help the United States move forward, together.
Why not everyone feels the same emotions from the same music
Music may bring people together, but how they experience it is individual. Watch the video for an explanation of how our cultural backgrounds influence the emotions music makes us feel.