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Transformative Dialogue: 10 More Question Frames
This essay builds on my previous articles on transformative dialogue, and provides more tools to navigate charged political discussions.
In short, TD uses conversations to help participants gain new insights, deeper understandings, and increased perspectives by highlighting nuances, subtleties, grey areas and complexities around any given topic. It also inspires critical reflection on one’s viewpoints, engendering an increase in self-awareness along multiple axes.
- Biographical questions
I love starting with biographical questions when dialoguing with people with “fringe” beliefs, such as flat earthers or hardcore conspiracy theorists. Asking people about their personal journey with an ideology opens the door to subjective influences on belief formation, which not only provides an invaluable glimpse into who they are, but also where they are coming from, allowing you to more skillfully navigate the conversation ahead. Also, reflecting on how one arrived at a belief triggers a remembrance of how one’s mind changed, which opens us up to how our minds could change again.
“Before we dive into the details, I’m curious how you got interested in this topic.”
“How/when did this topic become important to you?”
