In a world dominated by politicized talk and social media posts, it often seems like there’s been a decline in respectful conversation. Over the last year and a half, the Southern Pines Public Library has participated in Conversation Cave, a program fostering respectful dialog within our community.
An open, hosted conversation, the Café is a venue for people to gather and try to make sense of our world. Participants are asked to agree on the following guidelines that set the tone for the dialog:
- Open-mindedness: listen to and respect all points of view
- Acceptance: suspend judgement as best you can
- Curiosity: seek to understand rather than persuade
- Discovery: question assumptions and look for new insights
- Sincerity: speak from your heart and personal experience
- Brevity: go for honesty and depth—don’t go on and on
Anyone interested in this opportunity to listen, reflect, and share ideas in the community is welcome to join. Join us for our next conversation in November.