Julie Rose - journalist, radio host, and creator of the weekly shows Top of Mind and Uncomfy - shares the deep...

What happens when a dialogue expert loses his cool? Vince Greer, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Dialogue & Belonging at Claremont McKenna College...

Mary Kate Cary is a former White House speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush and a lecturer at the University of Virginia, where she teaches Democracy Out Loud a course on great American speeches. In this episode, Cary explores ...

Jordan Pace represents District 117 in the South Carolina House of Representatives and serves as Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Pace recounts how his political conversion—from an ardent pro–Bush-Cheney neoconservative teenager to a liber...

Lara Schwartz, author of Try to Love the Questions, argues that our disa...

Former Congressman Joe Cunningham shares the story of how he broke ranks with his own party by calling on President Biden not to seek reelection—and the backlash that followed. From being the first Democrat in 2022 to publicly urge generational...

Ben Klutsey, executive director of the Mercatus Center whose ...

Kurt Gray, a psychology professor and the author of Outraged: Why We Fight about Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

Jermaine Johnson, a South Carolina state representative and former pro basketball player, shares his frustration with the legislative process, revealing how performative politics often masks real, behind-closed-doors power plays. In his push to...

Kathryn Joyce, a philosopher and civil discourse director at Ohio State University, recalls a memorable clash with a college professor over unfair tests—an early lesson in the chall...

Lisa Silvestri, a professor at Penn State University, reflects on the deep emotional stakes of political disagreement, describing her post-2024 election disillusionment as a kind of heartbreak rooted in love for her country. Drawing from her up...

Martin Carcasson, the director of the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University, shares a debate about the value of, well, debate.  While debate at its best sharpens ideas and expo...

Jancee Dunn, a New York Times columnist and the author of How Not To Hate Your Husband After Kids, recalls the explosive...

Michael Covington, an experienced government relations officer, reveals the art of navigating the toughest conflicts with strategic persuasion and direct engagement. With a mix of humor and hard-earned lessons from several decades in the world ...

Carol Gorelick, a lifelong educator, shares a powerful story of a painful disagreement with a South African colleague that reshaped her understanding of race and societal dynamics. Reflecting on the complexities of identity and inequality, she ...

Matt Bares, CEO of Chandler Construction Services, shares the tough decisions he faced during the pandemic. Torn between public safety, personal liberty, and business survival, he mandated COVID vaccines despite potentially fierce opposition fr...

Kristal Hudson-Randall, a retired IT executive and former educator, shares  an internal struggle about the direction of the nation. A former optimist, she now wonders whether she can really trust her fellow citizens and, more generally, he...

In 2018, Phelosha Collaros, a senior leader at St. John's College, faced a social media firestorm after announcing the college president’s upcoming appearance on Tucker Carlson’s show.  The announcement, which aimed to showcase the college...

David Dudrick, a Catholic philosopher at Colgate University, shared his religious commitments with a colleague only to have his beliefs utterly dismissed. Despite being initially ca...

Jenn Wiggin, an executive producer of TV shows, films, and plays, discusses the shifting dynamics of her 30-year friendship with an actress in New York. After Jenn married and moved away from New York, her best friend accused her of neglecting ...

Clint Eisenhower recounts a career-shifting clash with a retiring CEO, where unspoken fears about aging and relevance turned a professional transition into a personal battle. Despite feeling deceived, Clint reflects on how life changes—like ret...

What happens when we shift from "winning" an argument to genuinely seeking common ground?  Bryan Gentry, a strategic communications professional, made what we now calls a reckless post on social media in 2008 mocking his friend’s support f...

Randall Geddings, a therapist, shares an experience of conflict with a close friend. Rick started hanging out with someone Randall didn't trust.  When Randall expressed his feelings to Rick, their argument escalated. Randall reflects on ho...

Rachael McNamara is a health educator. She identifies as a recovering conflict avoider and has worked hard to recast relational tension. Rachael explains how several key conflicts in her life showed her that setting boundaries doesn’t end relat...

Jamelle Bouie is a columnist at the New York Times. The way he argues in public is very different from the way he argues in his private life.