Listen First Project<\/a>, shares his own perspective on this: “As a conservative and someone who has worked in Republican politics and the Capitol building, I empathize with some of the fears that have gripped my fellow conservatives … as hard as it may be for other people to see, I feel the depth and sincerity of their love for America even if it is coming out in a way that I view as misguided and destructive.” Godwin saw many people at the Capitol on January 6 with “sincerely held fear and desperation for their country,” and cautions us to separate those committing violence from those who were there, in their mind, to peacefully protect democracy. While our instinct may be to lump January 6 participants and adjacent communities together, Godwin urges us to be cautious not to paint with a broad brush. Rahman makes a similar point about understanding dynamics within communities: “As an American Muslim who lived through 9\/11, I understand the frustration that your religion is being co-opted by political actors. We should be thoughtful in our categorization of people, so as not to villainize an entire community.”<\/p>\n These two approaches, these two instincts – this is precisely the challenge bridgebuilders face today, not just when it comes to January 6 but in navigating our country’s deep divides more broadly. The reality is that we need both curiosity and <\/em>truth. But how do you prioritize them? Do we lead with empathy or do we lead with truth-telling, and can we even do both with integrity? <\/p>\n Believing that we can and must do both is the beating heart of bridgebuilding work. One of the greatest skills in bridgebuilding is the ability to hold two seemingly contradictory thoughts side by side with care for both. It is the ability to deeply disagree with one another but maintain curiosity and care despite that disagreement. To make these points is not to say that this work is simple. Indeed, some psychological research shows that we’re hard-wired to do the opposite, to categorize people into various identities and tribes, “in” groups and “out” groups to better understand the world around us. Bridgebuilding work, especially in this moment, is profoundly challenging, and these challenges, alongside larger social power dynamics at work, means that bridgebuilding is not for everyone – as the Greater Good Science Center<\/a>’s Bridging Differences Playbook<\/a> puts it, “not everyone can or should be a bridgebuilder, or feel compelled to build bridges in every situation.”<\/p>\n However, the gravity of our polarization indicates that the need for bridgebuilding is stronger than ever. As I reflect on the one-year anniversary of January 6 and its implications for our nation, I revisit our prayer from one year ago today: May we help build a nation of bridgebuilders, with the tenacity and skill to hold both truth and curiosity side by side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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