Better Angels is Putting Out the Political Polarization Fire | John Wood
How do you speak truth from a place of love and compassion? Gift yourself the tools you need to bridge racial, economical and political gaps with today's episode, featuring John Wood of the Better Angels organization.
The biracial son of two culturally and economically opposite parents, John Wood has spent the better part of his life connecting across categories. The former Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County and nominee for congress, now works as a national leader for Better Angels- a grassroot organization uniting political parties and opposing populations around the country, founded by internationally renowned therapist, Dr. Bill Doherty.
John shares some of his background, and the philosophies that guide his life and work with Better Angels. Hear his profound ideas around communicating love and compassion through empathetic speech. Drawing inspiration from non-violent leaders like Martin Luther King, John doles out insights and offers surprising suggestions about the type of conversational discipline we all should develop to fight against the active efforts to divide us.
Episode Timeline:
[00:09] Intro
[00:57] Meet John Woods of Better Angels
[03:03] A story of overcoming differences
[06:27] His role in the organization
[08:21] Economic and racial differences woven into his childhood
[11:59] The shift in culture that impacts connections
[18:13] The organized effort to divide us
[20:20] Drawing inspiration from Martin Luther King and other leaders
[25:32] Why the social language of love has become lost to us
[31:41] How to speak truth from a place of love and compassion
[38:52] Why being centered is the key to not fighting fire with fire
[46:34] John Wood’s wish for you
[41:03] Outro
Resources Mentioned:
Standout Quotes:
“To kind of understand who I am as an individual I've had to kind of interpret across categories, how it is that the values of people in this one group are actually more closely connected to the values of people in this other group, than the differences in their language or behavior might make or politics might make it appear.” -John Wood [10:36]
“Because the activity of dividing the American people is actually an organized institutional effort… the effort to engender a culture of understanding in American life has to be organized as well.” -John Wood [19:03]
“Dr. King described love... as being something that was possessed with power, and that love without power is weak and anemic and that power without love is authoritarian and brutal. And so, wedding these two things together, the idea of love and power is what gives more substance and also vitality to both, ultimately.” -John Wood [26:57]
"You walk into a conversation knowing and accepting the fact that the person with whom you disagree assuming that person is generally sort of enthralled by a point of view that is prejudice or malignant... And therefore, your proper attitude should not be judgment or condemnation, but compassion.” -John Wood [29:39]
“Conversations can move in the direction of a virtuous cycle of empathetic listening, and humble communication in a way that can breed understanding in a powerful way, even across wide gulfs of disagreement.” -John Wood [38:30]
Connect:
Find | Sidewalk Talk
At sidewalk-talk.org
On Instagram: @sidewalktalkorg
On Twitter: @sidewalktalkorg
Find | Traci Ruble
At Traciruble.com
On Instagram: @TraciRubleMFT
On Twitter: @TraciRubleMFT
On Facebook: @TraciRubleMFT
Find | John Wood, Jr. and Better Angels
At better-angels.org
On Instagram: @betterangelsusa
On Twitter: @BetterAngelsUSA
On Facebook: @BetterAngelsUSA
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