Much of the conflict in the world today results from the inability of people with different opinions to listen thoughtfully to one another in an effort to find common ground.Each person has a different worldview and beliefs about events, politics, family and lifestyle both in their immediate environment and the world around him or her. Because of preconceived beliefs and growing tribal polarization, many individuals want to have their particular points of view verified and embraced by others.
Often times, conversations become one-way dialogues wherein a person has already made up their mind about an issue and is merely defending a position with the end desire being to convert the other party. In this case, the tools of persuasion used to convince others may, in fact, fuel increased disagreement and lead to unintended consequences.
The Listening Way is meant to convey techniques of advocacy which use listening as a key component and demonstrates how listening can be a major component of advocacy among those who have differing opinions.