Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues

by Steven T. Collis

Overview

Learn the practical skills that can help you build bridges, heal relationships, and engage in productive conversation about even the hardest topics.

Most people have experienced the slippery slope of dialogue that descends into -polarized argument. We yell at each other. We gaslight. We twist one -another’s words and meanings. We embrace facts that support our conclusions and ignore those that don’t. Or we sit in silence, afraid to discuss anything of substance. If how you treat others matters to you, this book offers powerful new habits that can give you the confidence to engage in dialogue about hard topics while building and strengthening relationships.

Imagine turning what could be a contentious conversation with a family member, a friend, or a coworker into a fruitful exchange that enlightens everyone’s minds and inches both of you toward a solution. Steven T. Collis, one of the world’s leading experts on civil -discourse, reveals ten practical habits that can help you navigate the potential minefields of hard topics and leave you and those you converse with feeling thoughtful and productive.

Whether you’re motivated by a desire for more fruitful discussions about politics or simply bringing more peace to your home, Habits of a Peacemaker offers you the tools to engage in constructive and healthy dialogue.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781649332974
Publisher:	Shadow Mountain Publishing
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Steven T. Collis is an author and law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. A former research fellow at Stanford Law School, he is the founding faculty director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and is one of the nation’s preeminent thought leaders on the First Amendment and civil discourse. He regularly speaks to major media outlets and lay audiences all over the globe on those issues. He is also the author of three other critically acclaimed books.  

Table of Contents

Contents

• Introduction 
• Habit One: Intellectual Humility and Reframing 
• Habit Two: Seek Real Learning 
• Habit Three: Assume the Best about People 
• Habit Four: Don’t Feed People’s Worst Fears 
• Habit Five: Hunt for the Best Argument Against You 
• Habit Six: Be Open to Change 
• Habit Seven: Spend Time with People 
• Habit Eight: A Sliver of Humor 
• Habit Nine: Achieve Inner Peace 
• Habit Ten: Embrace the Discomfort of Non-Closure 

Editorial Reviews

Do you ever give up hope that Americans can disagree without being disagreeable? Then read Habits of a Peacemaker and have your faith restored. With engaging examples and solid science, Steven T. Collis sets out everyday practices that equip each of us to resist the outrage merchants and make America civil again. I put down his book with new insights into how to be a better citizen—and a better friend and listener, too.

Jonathan Rauch

Collis’s distinctive contribution touches at the heart of what we all must relearn in our polarized age. Foreign governments have set as their goal the polarization of the United States. Teams of foreign actors work every day to use technology to pit us against one another. In this straightforward and practical book, Collis has given us the antidote. The habits it offers, with both humor and compassion, can help each of us do our part to heal this broken world.

Nury Turkel

I have spent most of my career fighting for and educating about the freedom of speech, which requires developing attitudes and skills that enable us to discuss the most divisive topics constructively. Collis’s enlightening and inspiring book serves as an essential guide toward these goals. Habits of a Peacemaker enables all of us to maximize the positive potential of our speech freedom, to the benefit of not only ourselves, but also our pluralistic democracy.” 

Nadine Strossen

Foreword INDIES 2024 Finalist – Self-Help Category

Foreword Reviews

Steven T. Collis is a much-needed voice in our divided society. This is a vital read for anyone who wants to develop the habits that will allow them to talk about difficult topics productively. From the echo chambers modern technology has created, we often seem more divided than we truly are, and the habits Collis recommends will help us recognize that and build bridges with the people who matter most in our lives. An urgent and thought-provoking read to help us heal our hearts and our discourse.

Judge Thomas B. Griffith (ret.)

"In this time of sharp political divides and overwhelming feedback, Collis is a much-needed voice of reason and compromise."

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