Have you ever had a movie beat you over the head with its message? It probably violated a valuable narrative technique: show, don't tell. Instead of asserting what you should believe, a "show, don't tell" approach engages you by giving you context and allowing you to draw your own conclusions.

In difficult conversations, it is easy to fall into a similar trap: talking at one another. Asserting our beliefs and rendering our moralistic judgments might feel good in the moment, but it does shoddy work in supporting our conversation partner in developing their understanding.

Stories can be a way out. They open a window into our view of the world. In the heat of a tense conversation, opening that window is like a cool breeze, conveying our perspective without it coming across as an attack. Stories carry the power to humanize in ways that explanations can't.

We have a new event in the works that we plan to host following this year's Summer Series, called "Share Your Story". At Share Your Story, we will practice our storytelling and learn from the stories of others in our community. Stories will focus on the experiences that have shaped the perspectives we bring to specific political issues.

Let us know if this is something you'd like to see. And keep an eye out for a newsletter feature announcing the inaugural event.