Public Affairs News

You've probably heard it said, "There are two things you should never talk about at a dinner party: Religion and Politics".  If you extend that to social media then you know the frustration of trying to have respectful conversations on these topics as well as many others.

What if we could provide you a platform to share your opinion, and rules of engagement for people to ask you questions about your opinion?  We are going to do just that with a discipline called the "3 Practice Circle", and here are the 3 practices (aka rules of engagement):

  1. I'll be unusually interested in others
  2. I'll stay in the room with difference
  3. I'll stop comparing my best with your worst

We can actually disagree on vaccines, climate change, deficits and a variety of hot button political topics without having to end our friendships.  If you'd like to be heard we'll give you 2 minutes and opportunity for questions from other participants.  If you just want to observe that is okay too.  We won't call on you to speak or single you out.

The goal of a 3 Practice circle is not agreement; the goal is clarity.  Don't come expecting to change anyone's mind, and I bet you'll be surprised when you leave that you may actually be more curious or clear about another's perspective.

Voting in an election is a democratic way of participating in the life and direction of our Nation. Let's talk about the issues and agree to have a coffee after our time together.

If you would like to learn more about 3 Practice Circles as a discipline you can go to 3 Practice Commons