Listening is key to civil conversations — even during a contentious election year.

In this polarized world it's easy to imagine civility is dead — or at least has one foot in the grave. Dare we try to have an impromptu conversation about presidential politics, religion, guns, abortion or Israel-Gaza, many of us might fall prey to our emotions and the physical hackles rippling through our bodies. But it doesn't have to be that way, says SMU Professor Jill DeTemple. She's an expert at teaching students and members of the community how to get along by simply breathing, listening and swapping stories that diffuse what we think divides us. It's not about getting us to change our beliefs — but rather honestly sharing with our conversation partners how we arrived at our world views.

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