Is Perspective-Taking the Key to Overcoming Polarization?

Top of Mind with Julie Rose

Why is it so hard to see things from a perspective other than our own? Our perspectives are shaped by our life experiences and our biology – some people are color-blind, for example. As a result of these differences, no two people see the world in exactly the same way. And yet, when it comes to differences of opinion on issues that we really care about, we are quick to demand that everyone else see things the way we do. Psychologists call the ability to see from a different vantage point “perspective taking.” Is perspective-taking the key to overcoming polarization in society? In this podcast episode, we learn how our brains are wired to process information differently – some think in words, others pictures. We get practical tips on how to practice perspective-taking during difficult conversations. And, we learn about the potential pitfalls of focusing only on developing empathy to bridge differences, because some empathy leads to helping, some does not. Podcast Guests: Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University and author of “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions,” “Different Kinds of Minds” and “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism” Monica Guzman, senior fellow at Braver Angels, host of A Braver Way podcast, and author of “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times” Alison Jane Martingano, professor of psychology at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, empathy researcher, host of “Psychology and Stuff” podcast